Inaugural Address. 3 



The first suggestions which I would make are in relation to the 

 change of designation from " Philosophical" to " Royal Society" 

 of New South "Wales. 



Some persous may not see any advantage in this change : 

 others may impute to its projectors some trifling ambition in 

 propounding it, and may think that no true man of science or 

 letters would desire to seek such a method of advancement as 

 depends on an alteration of the kind. I am, however, quite 

 sure that the advocates for the change had no such views as that. 



Many members of the Society had long considered (and it 

 must be confessed, I went with them) that we had been in the 

 habit of admitting topics for discussion which cannot be con- 

 sidered as coming under the head of Philosophy. In our 

 proceedings, both by act and by sanction, we have frequently 

 ignored the title of the Society. 



Its original Constitution provided that " our meetings will he 

 open for the reception of contributions and the discussion of subjects 

 of every Tcind," if "in accordance with our fundamental rules and 

 by-laws:" and it is stated in those rules, that " the object of the 

 Society is to receive at its stated meetings, original papers on subjects 

 of Science, Art, Literature, and Philosophy.'''' Further, in the 

 new rules that have been framed since the change of title, you 

 will find that that there is added : " and especially on such subjects 

 as tend to develop the Physical character of the Colony, and illus- 

 trate its Natural history and Productions. 



It is certain, therefore, that in neither class of rules have the 

 founders or supporters of the Society really intended what, 

 strictly speaking, the term "Philosophical Society" implies. 

 Such a Society must be understood to imply an association of 

 Philosophers, or one for the advancement of Philosophy ; whereas, 

 hitherto that department of enquiry has never received any 

 recognition from us, and, perhaps, never will. 



It is, also, quite clear that, whatever was actually intended 

 was something not embraced by Science, Art, or Literature ; for 

 Philosophy was admitted as only one of a number of subjects 

 and, apparently, as the least prominent among them. 



It is not necessary to suppose from this conclusion, that it is 

 intended by me to treat with undeserved disrespect any of the 

 pursuits that may engage the faculties of mankind. But it is 



