1003 



The President then addressed the Meeting as follows : — 

 Gentlemen, 



It now becomes my dutj^, according to custom, to give a slight 

 sketch of the events of the year which appear to be of most interest 

 to us as a scientific body ; iDut first permit me to express my deep 

 sense of obligation to your Council. They have applied themselves 

 so unremittingly to the discharge of the large amount of business 

 which has devolved upon them, and have examined each question 

 so thoroughly, that there has been little room for difference of 

 opinion, and therefore my duties have been light, and free from 

 anxiety. 



Permit me also to return thanks to the distinguished men, Fellows 

 of this Society, who, called in by the Council to aid them in wield- 

 ing the new powers which they derive under the Government Grant, 

 have rendered such important services. 



You are no doubt aware that the first step taken by your Council 

 in reference to the Government Grant, was to appoint a Committee, 

 composed of the Council and an equal number of other Fellows, to 

 make suitable regulations, and decide on the applications for aid 

 in carrying out scientific objects. I am sure you will concur with 

 me in thinking that your Council, in undertaking new and heavy 

 responsibilities, where a great experiment was about to be tried, and 

 where a false step at the beginning might have led to so m.uch mxis- 

 chief, did wisely in seeking, in the varied talents and acquirements 

 of a large Committee, a guarantee against any serious error. 



I believe there were some not without their doubts as to the 

 eventual success of the experiment, seeing that it had not always 

 been an easy matter to apply the small fund previously available for 

 similar objects : there were even some, I believe, who apprehended 

 that abuses might spring up injurious to the Society. To me, I 

 may perhaps be permitted to say, these doubts and apprehensions 

 did not appear to be well-founded : it is but a short time since you 

 conferred a Medal on M. Regnault for very able and elaborate re- 

 searches, carried on at the expense of the French Government; if 

 the French Government had not supplied the means, the experi- 

 ments could not have been made. You are about to confer the 

 Copley Medal on the distinguished astronomer. Professor Hansen, 

 for his discoveries in Physical Astronomy ; and it is a remarkable 

 fact, that he has been for some time engaged in the construction of 

 new lunar tables, tLe moon's place being so far in error as to pro- 

 duce serious practical inconveniences : this work was commenced in 

 time of peace with funds provided by his own Government, but is 

 now about to be completed ^^ith funds supplied to him by our Go- 

 vernment. Here were two examples strikingly brought before us 

 by our own recent proceedings, illustrating the position, that while 

 the man of science supplies the mind, others often must supply the 

 hands. There were many other similar examples ; but, moreover, 

 the d priori reasoning appeared to me to be conclusive ; for if we 

 except pure geometry, there seemed to be no other science where 



