1887 SCIENCE AND POLITICS 1 85 



quence, introducing political considerations into the choice 

 of a future President. 



During his own tenure of the Presidency Huxley had 

 carefully abstained from any official connection with societies 

 or public movements on which the feeling of the Royal 

 Society was divided, lest as a body it might seem commit- 

 ted by the person and name of its President. He thought 

 it a mistake that his successor should even be President 

 of the Victoria Institute. 



Thus there is a good deal in his correspondence bear- 

 ing on this matter. He writes on November 6 to Sir J. 

 Hooker : — 



I am extremely exercised in my mind about Stokes' going 

 into Parliament (as a strong party man, moreover) while still 

 P.R.S. I do not know what you may think about it, but to my 

 mind it is utterly wrong — and degrading to the Society — by in- 

 troducing politics into its affairs. 



And on the same day to Sir M. Foster: — 



I think it is extremely improper for the President of the 

 R.S. to accept a position as a party politician. As a Unionist I 

 should vote for him if I had a vote for Cambridge University, 

 but for all that I think it is most lamentable that the Presidency 

 of the Society should be dragged into party mud. 



When I was President I refused to take the Presidency of 

 the Sunday League, because of the division of opinion on the 

 subject. Now we are being connected with the Victoria Insti- 

 tute, and sucked into the slough of politics. 



These considerations weighed heavily with several both 

 of the older and the younger members of the Society ; but 

 the majority were indifferent to the dangers of the precedent 

 The Council could not discuss the matter; they waited in 

 vain for an official announcement of his election from the 

 President, while he, as it turned out, expected them to 

 broach the subject. 



Various proposals were discussed; but it seemed best 

 that, as a preliminary to further action, an editorial article 

 written by Huxley should be inserted in Nature, indicating 

 what was felt by a section of the Society, and suggesting 



