54 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Nov. 30, 



to that of everyday use. But such is the mass of fruitful matter 

 which science has furnished to the mechanician and constructor, 

 that we might almost wish, from the point of view of the latter, that 

 they may have time to work out more f ally than has yet been done, 

 the results of science, before they are called upon to elaborate any 

 fresh materials. 



It is now proposed to repeat as far as may be, this Exhibition, at 

 the Crystal Palace ; and the energy with which the proposal has been 

 taken up, and the response with which it has met in many quarters, 

 appear to justify sanguine ■ expectations of its success, at all , events 

 from a practical and popular point of view. From the side of 

 science, it would doubtless have been far more interesting to look 

 forward to a fresh Exhibition, either here or elsewhere, of the pro- 

 gress of electricity after an interval of two or three years. But 

 there is nothing in the present undertaking to interfere with the more 

 advanced project, if, after some such period as that indicated, circum- 

 stances should prove favourable. In the meantime, it must be 

 remembered that there are very many persons to whom the Paris 

 Exhibition would have proved both interesting and instructive, but 

 who, from one cause or another, were prevented visiting it. Be- 

 sides this, there are not a few commercial, and even municipal, bodies 

 desirous of adopting some of the modern applications of electricity, 

 but who would be more ready to avail themselves of them after a 

 personal inspection of the instruments and of their mode of action. 

 From this point of view the Exhibition may fairly be expected to give 

 considerable impulse to the adoption of electrical appliances in fresh 

 quarters. 



But even over and above this practical aspect of the undertaking, 

 there may still have been at the epoch of the Paris Exhibition, some 

 results on the eve of achievement, some remedies for defects, sufficient 

 to transform a doubtful into a certain issue, or even a failure into a 

 success ; some steps which may open out new questions, or serve as 

 a departure for new investigations in the subject of electricity. If 

 such should be the case, even science may derive substantial benefit 

 from the proposed undertaking. 



But the present year has been rendered generally remarkable, 

 amongst other things, by the multiplicity of its Congresses. Apart 

 from those which are concerned with subjects not coming under the 

 head of "Natural Knowledge," there have been held the annual 

 meetings of the British Association, and of the Iron and Steel 

 Institute ; the International Medical Congress, in London ; the special 

 Congresses on Electricity and on the Transit of Yenus, in Paris 

 (mentioned above) ; that on Geography in Venice ; that on Geology 

 in Bologna, and others. 



Among all these, the International Medical Congress which this 



