of the British Association to the meeting at Glasgow, 1840. 487 



Harcourts? — why indeed, on this very occasion has Argyll 

 himself, overlooking the claims due to his high position, and 

 his ancient lineage, come forward to act with us, and even to 

 serve in a subordinate office? — may we not reply, that it is, 

 we believe, a consequence of the just appreciation on the part 

 of these patriotic and enlightened noblemen, of the beneficial 

 influences which this Association exercises in so many ways 

 on the sources of the nation's power and honour ? 



If we have hitherto dwelt almost exclusively on the value 

 of our transactions, researches, recommendations, and the 

 good application of our finances, let it not, however, be sup- 

 posed, that we are not also fully alive to the advantages which 

 flow from the social intercourse of these meetings, by bring- 

 ing together, into friendly communion, from distant parts, 

 those who are struggling on (often remote and unassisted) in 

 advancing experimental science. If, indeed, this principle of 

 union (which we are proud to have borrowed from our Ger- 

 man brethren) has been hitherto found to work so well 

 amongst our own countrymen, we cannot but doubly recognise 

 its value when we see assembled so many distinguished per- 

 sons from foreign countries. In the presence of these eminent 

 men, we forbear to allude to individual distinctions, conscious 

 that any brief attempt of our own would fall far short of a true 

 estimate of merits, the high order of which is indeed known to 

 every cultivator of science in Britain. Well, however, may 

 we rejoice in having drawn such spirits to our Isle ; valuable, 

 we trust, will be the comparisons we shall be enabled to make 

 between the steps which the different sciences are making in 

 their countries and in our own. 



That advantages, indeed, of no mean order arise from such 

 social intercourse, is a feeling now so prevalent, that foreign 

 national associations for the promotion of natural knowledge 

 have rapidly increased. Germany, France, and Italy have 

 their annual Assemblies, and our allies of the Northern States 

 hold their sittings beyond the Baltic. In all this there is 

 doubtless much good, but an occasional more extensive inter- 

 course of a similar nature, to be repeated at certain intervals, 

 is greatly to be desired. 



It has therefore appeared to us (and we say it after con- 

 sultation with many of our continental friends, who equally feel 

 the disadvantage), that the formation of a general congress of 

 science might be promoted at this meeting, which, not inter- 

 fering with any assemblies yet fixed upon, or even contem- 

 plated, may be so arranged, as to permit the attendance of the 

 officers and active members of each national scientific institu- 

 tion. 



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