1 87 1.] A Page of Scientific History. 151 



these proposals, which, if they had been entertained, would 

 have altogether changed the nature of the institution, and 

 thus have deprived the country of the only school of prac- 

 tical chemistry then in existence. If these several proposals, 

 which were urgently pressed by some well-meaning but ill- 

 advised members, were rejected, it was due to the clear- 

 sightedness of Sir James, who, aided by some other influen- 

 tial members, more especially Lord Ashburton, Mr. John 

 Dalrymple, and, at a later period, by Mr. Warren de la Rue 

 and Dr. Bence Jones, succeeded in convincing the council 

 that the only way of saving the college would be by con- 

 fining themselves to the principal object contemplated in its 

 foundation, viz., the advancement of science by means of 

 practical instruction in the laboratories and by researches. 

 From this moment Sir James became the very soul of the 

 school. By his advice all unnecessary expenditure was at 

 once avoided ; the large premises in Hanover Square were 

 given up, the laboratories only being retained ; lastly, the 

 ofhce of secretary was established. It was the confidence 

 in Sir James's friendship that induced the Professor to give 

 up half his emoluments. 



By this re-constitution of the College the expenditure was 

 at once very considerably diminished, and since the income 

 from students' fees was still increasing, the council found 

 no difficulty in defraying the small deficiency by an annual 

 donation which the College owed to the liberality of Lord 

 Ashburton, and by the subscriptions of the friends who had 

 remained faithful to the institution. A series of prosperous 

 years now ensued : the College gained more and more 

 the estimation of the public and of the leading scientific 

 men, and Sir James had the satisfaction of seeing 

 that the time and labour which he had so largely 

 devoted to the institution did not remain without reward. 

 But Sir James was not one of those who are satisfied with 

 a partial success. He perceived that the financial balance, 

 which had been happily restored in the College, was very 

 precarious, and easily disturbed by fluctuations in the 

 attendances of pupils or by falling off of subscriptions. The 

 more the College began to fulfil his expectations as a 

 teaching institution, the more was he anxious to establish it 

 on a more permanent foundation. His aim was to obtain a 

 Government grant for the school, and no pains were spared 

 on his part, no means neglected which his high and influen- 

 tial position could suggest to attain this important object. 

 Several attempts failed, and it was not until 1852 that a 

 happy combination of circumstances enabled Sir James to 



