1886 .] 
Chairman's Address. 
19 
It is the primary object of our Society to promote the interests 
of science and literature in Scotland, more especially in all that 
relates to the extension of the boundaries of knowledge by the dis- 
covery of new truths, as distinguished from the making known of 
old truths. It claims, therefore, the right to memorialise the Govern- 
ment on scientific affairs which it considers of national importance, 
and in purely Scottish matters it holds that its President and 
Council, and not the President and Council of the Royal Society 
of London, should he the advisers of the Government. 
The Council has, at various times in the past, called the attention 
of the Government to the disadvantages under which Scotland 
laboured in respect of aid to research, but the result has never been 
satisfactory. In the attempt which the Council is now about to 
make I would bespeak the co-operation and support of all Scotsmen 
who believe it to be for the honour and well-being of the country 
that our scientific institutions should not languish, or our scientific 
men be discouraged, but that both should be urged to new advances 
and greater conquests. 
Hume Manuscripts. 
Before the reading of the papers the Chairman made the follow- 
ing statement : — 
Some reference should, I think, be made to the concluding para- 
graph of a review of the life of Hume, which recently appeared in 
the Scotsman. It is as follows : — 
“ Dr Knight has spared no pains to add by his own independent 
research to the information given in J. Hill Burton’s work. He 
mentions, however, that ‘ he has not been able to obtain access to 
the volume of Hume MSS. in the custody of the Koval Society, the 
Secretary being of opinion that Mr Hill Burton had sufficiently 
examined these.’ Has the Secretary of the Royal Society any such 
right to bar the way to further genuine research? How does he 
know that nothing has been omitted and nothing has to be verified ? 
This volume was not given as a present to the Royal Society to keep 
as a curiosity in a glass case for its peculiar benefit, but given to 
them as custodiers for the public. The decision of Professor Tait 
amounts to asserting that this volume is never more to be seen by 
mortal eye. It is well known that Plume entrusted to the Society 
