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the general interests of the Royal Society. I allude to the return of 

 Sir John Herschel to this country, after an absence of several years, 

 devoted, from a sense of filial duty, to the completion of that great 

 task which he felt to have been transmitted to him as an inheritance 

 from his venerable and illustrious father. I have so often had oc- 

 casion to allude, from this Chair, to the merits of that distinguished 

 person, and to express the respect which I felt for his great attain- 

 ments, the pride with which I cherished his friendship, the deep in- 

 terest which I took in his labours, and my admiration of the truly 

 modest and philosophical spirit in which tliey were conducted, that 

 I should be guilty of a very superfluous repetition of what I have 

 before addressed to you, if I ventured to enlarge upon them now ; 

 but I should ill discharge my duty, whilst still entitled to address 

 you as the official head of the scientific establishment of this coun- 

 try, if I omitted to avail myself of this or any other opportunity of 

 expressing the gratification which I experienced in June last, when 

 called upon to preside at that great convention of the most eminent 

 men who adorn our country, who combined together with such sin- 

 gular unanimity and enthusiasm to pay their homage to science and 

 knowledge, and those great interests with which their cultivation 

 and progress are connected, by paying so signal a tribute of respect 

 and honour to the most accomplished and the most devoted of our 

 living philosophers. I feel assured, Gentlemen, that the proceed- 

 ings of that memorable day will produce marked and durable ef- 

 fects upon the scientific prospects of our country, by proving that 

 pre-eminent merit will meet with sympathy at least, if not with re- 

 ward, and as offering sure and unequivocal indications both of the 

 power and direction of public opinion amongst the most cultivated 

 and enlightened classes of society ; and it was chiefly as an expres- 

 sion of the deference paid by the government of this country to the 

 opinions and wishes of the scientific world, that I rejoiced in being 

 authorized and requested by the prime minister of the crown to 

 offer to Sir John Herschel the rank of baronet, on the occasion of 

 the coronation of Her Majesty, though well comdnced that such an 

 accession of social rank was not required to give dignity to one 

 whose name is written in the imperishable records of the great sy- 

 stem of the universe. 



It would ill become me, while gratefully acknowledging my sense 

 of your past kindnesses towards myself, to venture to refer to the 

 name of my presumed successor in the Chair of this Society in any 

 terms which might be interpreted as an undue anticipation of the 

 result of this day's proceedings, or as appearing to interfere with the 

 free use of the franchise which every Fellow possesses, and is ex- 

 pected and required to exercise ; but I cannot be ignorant of the 

 various accomplishments, the courteous and unassuming manners, 

 the warmth of heart and active benevolence which distinguish the 

 nobleman who has been nominated by the Council : and I rejoice 

 most sincerely that the Society possesses amongst its members, as a 

 candidate for your suffi'ages, one so well qualified to preside at your 

 meetings, and to watch over your interests. 



