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notice of the legislature, upon whom it especially devolves 
to take every prudential measure that can promote the 
future prosperity of the kingdom. 
To dwell upon, or even to allude to the exceedingly 
valuable nature of documents of this kind, must seem to 
every one conversant with the subject, like proving that 
light is better than darkness, or knowledge preferable to 
ignorance. The most eminent geologists and miners have 
expressed their opinions with great clearness, and with an 
earnestness proportioned to their conviction of the impor- 
tance of the subject. I have quoted several of these opinions 
in a work which has been some time before the public ; but, 
though there is a general concurrence in the utility and 
importance of such geological and mining records, there is 
far from being any active progress made in furtherance of 
the end in view. Individuals are with difficulty induced to 
labour for remote advantages ; the engineer is too fully 
occupied with the immediate objects of his professional 
duty, to have much time to devote to the geological features 
of his work ; and thus, until some further arrangements are 
made, comparatively little progress can be expected in ob- 
taining accurate sections of railway cuttings. 
In the mean time, however, the opportunity is passing 
away, and if much is not to be expected, still something 
may be done. In societies like the present, there are usually 
found many who have both the will and the power to labour 
in the field of science, and who probably only require to 
know the objects proposed, to devote a portion of their time 
and energies to them. 
And here I will take occasion to remark, that in this 
respect, that is to say, in directing the labours of scientific 
individuals, the British Association has been eminently 
useful. Many persons, who prefer forming their opinions 
from the vague and distorted statements in newspapers, to 
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