358 Remarks on Mr. Babbage's Work. 



and Dr. Young, among the dead ; and Mr. Herschel among 

 the living, not only condescended to be the humble and obe- 

 dient creatures of a president of the Royal Society, as mem- 

 bers of the Council; but to receive, as its Secretaries, the wages 

 appropriated generally to his most staunch supporters ; and I 

 cannot myself but regard it as somewhat mortifying, that a 

 gentleman, a man of education, and one who deservedly enjoys 

 the high dignity of filling a chair once occupied by Newton, 

 should have brought forward imputations, which seem neces- 

 sarily to lead to those conclusions. 



That there are many things which require change in the ma- 

 nagement of the affairs of the Royal Society, I am quite willing 

 to admit ; and harsh as has been the conduct exercised by Mr. 

 Babbage towards that body, I trust that his plan of improve- 

 ment, and the various other topics embraced by him, will be 

 considered with candour. 



One of the first measures requiring alteration, is relative to 

 the house list. That this list should be determined on by the 

 retiring Council, as was the case on the last occasion, is 

 highly expedient ; and a president need not fear an undue in- 

 terference with his prerogative, or entertain any apprehensions 

 that his real and substantial weight, either with the Society at 

 large, or the Council, will be diminished, by dividing the 

 responsibility of such list, with the other members of the Coun- 

 cil. The Society owes much to Dr. Roget for having, for the 

 first time, registered the house list, as an act of the Council. 



Another circumstance of importance, I would also take the 

 liberty of suggesting, which is, that it would be advantageous, 

 for the Society at large, and not the Council alone, to have the 

 power of making and repealing the bye-laws of the Society. 

 In no other institution is this power, as far as I know, with- 

 held from the body at large ; and the inconveniences which 

 might be feared from the proposed change, could readily be 

 guarded against. Indeed the power of occasional appeal to 

 the general body, is a sort of safety valve in the proceedings 

 of a Society, which allows discussions to be held, and angry 

 feelings to evaporate, without the necessity of giving them fur- 

 ther publicity. 



The first is, however, the most important of the changes 

 required ; and as it is of immediate practical application, I trust 

 that it will be invariably acted upon in future. Much, no 

 doubt, depends on the talents and public estimation of the 

 Council, for the proper and satisfactory government of the 

 Society's affairs; and it will be unfortunate, and not quite 

 creditable, if such men as have it in their power to benefit the 

 Society by their talents, should withdraw themselves from of- 

 fice, 



