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The pleasure experienced by you on this occasion was enhanced 

 by the presence within these walls of Baron Humboldt, Avho ac- 

 companied his Majesty. It is very seldom that we can expect to 

 see among us any of our Foreign Associates. It was therefore doubly 

 gratifying to receive, together with his sovereign, the distinguished 

 philosopher who had travelled over so large a portion of the globe 

 in the pursuit of every branch of knowledge. 



Since 1 last addressed you, two years ago, a great degree of suc- 

 cess has attended the expedition of Captain Ross to the Antarctic 

 Region. I congratulate you, Gentlemen, on the results already de- 

 rived from an expedition v/hich originated in a joint application to 

 Government from your Council and the British Association. I re- 

 joice that a British officer has had the honour, not only of making 

 most important scientific researches, but also of approaching much 

 nearer to the Southern Pole than any one had done before him, and 

 of discovering a new Iceland and a new Hecla, more gigantic than 

 the arctic volcano. 



With respect to the magnetic observatories, I have the gratifica- 

 tion of informing you that they are to be continued for three more 

 years, in hopes of making the information to be obtained from them 

 more extensive and more accurate. The consent to this continu- 

 ance was granted by Sir Robert Peel : a continuance of the scien- 

 tific measure of one minister by the statesman who had superseded 

 and succeeded hjm. This is a gratifying circumstance, as proving 

 that, as we hope and believe that British patriotism belongs to all 

 parties, so the love of science also belongs to all, or rather that in 

 scientific pursuits there is no party feeling and no party jealousy. 

 I must add, that on the present occasion, the application of the 

 Council of the Royal Society was seconded by M. Brunow, the am- 

 bassador of the Emperor of Russia ; thus showing that nations are 

 ready to testify that any great acquisition of physical knowledge is 

 a common object to the whole human race. 



The hopes that the Expedition to the Niger might be productive 

 of important additions to our stores of science, as well as great re- 

 sults to the highest interests of humanity, have been unhappily in a 

 great measure disappointed. At the same time the hopes of the 

 scientific naturalist have not been entirely vain, for I am informed 

 by Mr. Gray that many new species of birds and other animals have 

 been brought to England from Fernando Po and the mouth of the 

 Niger. 



Your Council, Gentlemen, have taken into their consideration the 

 great importance that microscopical researches have always pos- 

 sessed, and the still greater influence upon science that they are 

 now beginning to exercise, in the hands of Mr. Owen and others, 

 as well as the extraordinary perfection to which the instrument itself 

 is now brought. They have come to the conclusion that it is highly 

 expedient that we should ourselves possess the means of repeating 

 and verifying the experiments brought before our notice, as well as 

 instituting new branches of inquiry. We have therefore thought it 

 expedient, by summoning competition to our aid, to endeavour to 



