-8 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, vi 



if scattered fragmentarily among the Transactions of vari- 

 ous learned societies. Personally, the members of the com- 

 mittee were very willing to make the grant, but on further 

 consideration it appeared that the money was. to be applied 

 for promoting research, not for assisting publication ; and 

 moreover, it was desirable not to establish a precedent for 

 saddling the funds at the disposal of the Society with all 

 the publications which it was the clear duty of the Govern- 

 ment to undertake. On this ground the application was 

 refused, but at the same time it was resolved that the Gov- 

 ernment be formally asked to give the necessary subvention 

 towards bringing out these valuable papers. 



A similar resolution was passed at the Ipswich meeting 

 of the British Association in July 1851, and at a meeting of 

 its Council in March 1852 the President declared himself 

 ready to carry it into effect by asking the Treasury for the 

 needful £300. But at the July meeting he could only re- 

 port a non possumus answer for the current year (1852) from 

 the Government, and a resolution was passed recommend- 

 ing that application on the subject be renewed by the British 

 Association in the following year. 



Meanwhile, weary of official delay, Huxley had con- 

 ceived the idea of writing direct to the Duke of Northum- 

 berland, then First Lord of the Admiralty, whom he knew 

 to take an interest in scientific research. At the same time 

 he stirred Lord Rosse, the President of the Royal Society, 

 to repeat his application to the Treasury. Although the 

 Admiralty in April 1852 again refused money help, and bade 

 him apply to the Royal Society for a portion of the Govern- 

 ment Grant (which the latter had already refused him), the 

 Hydrographer was directed to make inquiries as to the pro- 

 priety of granting him an extension of leave. To his ques- 

 tion asking the exact amount of time still required for finish- 

 ing the work of publication, Huxley returned what he 

 described as a " savage reply," that his experience of en- 

 gravers led him to think that the plates could be published 

 in eight or nine months from the receipt of a grant; that 

 he had reason to believe this grant might soon be promised, 

 but that the long delay was solely due to the remissness 



