350 



Reference was made to the suggested site at Kensington, and it was 

 explained that it would be inconvenient to a large proportion of the 

 working men of the Societies, many of them engaged in business, and 

 whose time was most valuable, that they would be unable to attend 

 regularly, and that the usefulness of the Societies would be thereby 

 greatly impaired. It was also intimated that the purchase of a large 

 tract of land at Kensington did not materially affect the question ; 

 as a small space would be sufficient for all the Societies, and there- 

 fore that a free grant at Kensington could be but little object. Should 

 the Government accede to the Memorial, I presume that then the 

 Societies will be regularly consulted. The site will then be pointed 

 out, the plan of the building laid before you, and you will form your 

 own opinion ; you will decide whether to remain as you are, or to 

 accept the enlarged accommodation, which the far-sighted liberality 

 of the nation will have provided for you. 



The interests of science appear to me to be deeply involved in the 

 question of providing a suitable building for the Scientific Societies. 

 It is a practical question, and we must look at it in all its bearings, 

 as men of the world. Had there been no Societies, science would 

 not therefore have stood still ; but its progress would have been 

 much slower. The desire of discovering the truth, which is so 

 strongly implanted in every educated mind, would have been to 

 some a sufficient motive for exertion; but the aid and inspiriting 

 influence of association would have been wanting, and many active 

 members of our scientific bodies would probably never have taken 

 up science as a pursuit at all. The love of ease, the fascinations of 

 society, the little prospect of advancing their material interests, 

 through the path of scientific discovery, would have been to them a 

 sufficient excuse for indolence. This point was very well put at the 

 last xA.nniversary, by one of the distinguished men to whom you award- 

 ed a medal ; he said, had he been like Robinson Crusoe on a desert 

 island ; the desire of discovering the truth would have been an induce- 

 ment to work, but to obtain the good opinion of his fellow-men, 

 associated together, was with him avery strong additional inducement. 

 If a man, naturally gifted, and well-educated, attends scientific meet- 

 ings, he will feel himself constrained to work, and therefore it is so 

 important for the advancement of knowledge, that able men should be 

 induced to join and attend the different societies ; but nothing I think 

 would have greater attractions than a building in a convenient central 

 situation, where the business of science would be transacted, where 

 there would be access to the best libraries, and where that kind of 

 society most valued by scientific men would always be within reach. 



Where the question is, shall a great country like England provide 

 a suitable place of meeting for its scientific bodies, I should hope 

 there are not many who would be disposed to count the cost, I scarcely 

 think the question, cut bono, could be asked ; should any one however 

 ask it, I should answer, the object is to promote the increase of human 

 knowledge, to extend the domain of reason ; and "it is the understand- 

 ing that sets man above the rest of sensible beings, and gives him all the 

 advantage and dominion which he has over them." To take lower 



