ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. gg 



that they could look back over those two years as a time when 

 the members had been increasing, and he only hoi:)ed that in the 

 next two years there would be another considerable accession of 

 members. Another matter which had passed as a breath across 

 the sky, was the possibility of uniting the various scientific 

 societies of Cornwall. It would be premature to say anything 

 about it, but perhaps he might be allowed personally to hope 

 that such a union might come about. (Applause), Before the 

 abolition of monasteries, and as late as the French Revolution, 

 any learned person, wherever he went through Europe, found 

 a home, and was free of the monasteries, and so passed from one 

 to another. Of course, they never could hope to realise that 

 state of things, but he did not see why the day should not come 

 when scientific institutions should be free to each other, and 

 when membership in one institution should mean membership 

 in any other, just as one who had taken his degree in one 

 university had nothing to do but to knock at the door, and be 

 admitted to the same degree and to its privileges in any other 

 university. There was a talk in Cornwall of getting a separate 

 bill for another important matter, and why should not Cornwall 

 also be the first to form all the local scientific institutions into 

 one brotherhood, so as to be a complete membership ? He did 

 not know whether these things were a dream ; those who know 

 better about the circumstances of these institutions knew more 

 about the matter than he did ; but he thought it was a very 

 delightful dream for all these institutions to become sections of 

 one institution, and would cause the work now done by all these 

 isolated little societies to be accomplished with a grander swing. 

 He should be always willing to render the Institution any 

 assistance in his power. They must allow him to congratulate 

 them most heartily on the accession of their new president. 

 They had one for their head who, he thought, would do great 

 things for them. (Applause). Lord Mount Edgcumbe was an 

 extremely accomplished and cultivated man, and they knew with 

 what indefatigable zeal he carried out everything he undertook. 

 He had never been requested to be in that neighbourhood for 

 anything he could do, or any cause he could benefit, without 

 making his arrangements immediately. He felt sure the 

 advantage of having Lord Mount Edgcumbe as president for 

 the next two years was an advantage they could not estimate. 



