Proceedings of the British Association. 281 



in 1826, two medals for the encouragement of science having been 

 placed at the disposal of the Royal Society by the King, one of them 

 was assigned to Dalton, ' for his development of the atomic theory/ 

 In 1833, at the meeting of the British Association for the advance- 

 ment of Science, which was held at Cambridge, it was announced 

 that the King had bestowed upon him a pension of 150/. ; at the 

 preceding meeting at Oxford, that University had conferred the 

 degree of Doctor of Laws, a step the more remarkable since he be- 

 longed to the sect of Quakers. At all the meetings of the British 

 Association he has been present, and has always been surrounded 

 with the reverence and admiration of all who feel any sympathy with 

 the progress of science. May he long remain among us, thus to 

 remind us of the vast advance which chemistry owes to him." This 

 was written in 1837, the year in which a severe attack of paralysis 

 seriously impaired his powers ; he last appeared among us at Man- 

 chester, when he received the respectful homage of the distinguished 

 foreigners and others who were there assembled ; he died on the 27th 

 of July last, in the 78th year of his age. His funeral, which was 

 public, was attended by all classes of the inhabitants, who felt justly 

 proud of being the fellow-citizens of so distinguished a man. 



I now proceed to notice some other topics which are connected 

 with the distribution of the funds, and the general conduct of the 

 affairs of the Association. Like other bodies, we have had our peri- 

 ods of financial prosperity and decline ; and like other bodies, we 

 have sometimes drawn more freely upon our resources, than their 

 permanent prospects would justify. The statement which will be 

 read to you by our excellent treasurer, (see ante, p. 882) will show, 

 that during the last year our capital has been reduced : the great 

 number of life subscribers, which at one time rapidly augmented our 

 resources, has a natural and necessary tendency to reduce our annual 

 subscriptions, at every succeeding meeting ; and some alterations in 

 the conditions of admission for those inhabitants of the places where 

 we are received, who are not likely to follow the farther movements 

 of the Association, have not tended to swell our receipts, though ren- 

 dered, at the time, necessary by the great numbers who crowded 

 inconveniently some of our sectional meetings. 



I regret to find that some currency has been given to the notion, — 

 which I believe to be altogether erroneous and unfounded, — that a 



