370 
MARQUIS OF RIPON, K.G., F.R.S. 
Charles Wood, afterwards Viscount Halifax, withdrew from the 
Ministry, he was appointed Secretary of State for India. On Mr. Glad- 
stone's accession to office in December, 1868, he received the appoint- 
ment of Lord President of the Council, which he retained until 
August, 1873. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1869. In 
1871 the joint commission which arranged the Treaty of Washington 
was appointed, and Lord Ripon was selected as chairman. In recog- 
nition of the services which he rendered in that capacity he was, soon 
after his return from the United States, created Marquis of Ripon. 
The L^niversit}^ of Oxford conferred upon him the honorary degree of 
D.C.L. in 1870, and in April of the same year he was installed as 
Grand Master of the Freemasons of England in succession to the Earl 
of Zetland ; four years afterwards his Lordship joined the Roman 
Catholic Church, which necessitated his resignation of that position. 
During the whole of the period since his election as president of this 
Society, his Lordship has been engaged in political matters and fre- 
quently in office, which has rendered his attendance at the meetings 
of the Society infrequent. Since the year 1876 except during a period of 
more than five years when he was absent as Viceroy of India, his 
Lordship has shown a considerable interest in everything that per- 
tained to the well-being and prosperity of the Society, and has 
continually taken an active part in its affairs. In April, 1877, 
his Lordship presided at a meeting held at Ripon and delivered an 
address on scientific research, in which he stated that in his earher life 
he had been devoted to the study of entomology, and had succeeded, 
whilst making a collection of saw flies, in discovering a specimen 
which the late Mr. John Curtis pronounced to be a species hitherto 
unknown. He mentioned this to show that if any study was pursued 
with accuracy and with care new facts might turn out, which 
ultimately would be of value to science. The basis of all scientific 
investigation was the spirit of careful and accurate observation. 
Those who gave any portion of their time to scientific enquiries 
must not think that they could be taken up like a novel and 
read hastily or investigated in a superficial manner. If the 
study of science were to do any good, or to advance the general 
knowledge of the world, it must be conducted in a painstaking 
