xxvi President's Address 



pernicious to the very existence of Christianity, should thus 

 be supplied by the researches of geologists — too often regarded 

 with distrust by religious minds. 



I must not, however, wander further amidst the mazes of 

 such mighty mysteries, but proceed to a recital of what the 

 Royal Society has accomplished in addition to the reading 

 of the papers to which I have referred. 



I should not omit to mention that for the first time, in 

 conformity to a new rule, its members have formed them- 

 selves into sections for the cultivation of special branches of 

 science, and though too short a period has elapsed since this 

 was effected to enable us to judge of the results, I have no 

 doubt that they will prove valuable, especially in microscopic 

 investigations and other branches of study requiring careful 

 and minute experiments. 



I have already alluded to the fact that attention was first 

 called in this hall to the necessity of early preparation for 

 the International Exhibition, and though a commission has 

 since been constituted by the Government for the purpose, 

 and a vote of £5,000 submitted to Parliament by my advisers, 

 yet, as the commissioners are mostly chosen from our mem- 

 bers, whilst our able and accomplished honorary secretary 

 fills the same office under it, I think we may fairly claim our 

 full share of the credit of its useful labours. 



The prizes, too, offered last year by the Government for 

 the best essays on gold mining, water supply, agriculture, 

 and manufactures, which will form an admirable basis for the 

 commissioners' report on the resources of the colony, were 

 awarded according to the recommendation of sub-committees 

 of the Royal Society, after a long and painstaking examina- 

 tion. 



But it is to the preparations for exploring the interior of 

 Australia that the time and energy of a large number of the 

 members of this Society, who were nominated a committee 



