IKAUfiUlUL ADDKKSS. 
'2 
Association for the Atlviinceiiient of Science, the tifty-eight]i 
meeting of which was held in Newcastle during September 
of last year. Thus the bearings and aspirations of these 
scienee-inusterings came anew before us here also from 
the great Ifi’itish home, whose lead and aims we are anxious 
to follow and to imitate even in these respects. Whoever 
shared actively or even only passively in the engagements, 
for w'hich this extensive union has been establishefl, whether 
in Bi-itain or on the continent of Europe or in America, must 
liave realised how much vitality is infused into science- 
work by these Associations through whole communities, how 
immensely inspiring the personal contact 'with leaders in pro- 
gressive tliought is to individual workei’S (jf all ranks and in all 
ilirection.s ; how plans are formed and problems submitted, other- 
wise likely unattended to or left indefinitely postponed, and how 
powerful and trusty an intluence by this widely spreading and 
annually refreshed organisation can be exercised on the pufilic 
mind, to speed progress, particularly of utilitarian tendency, in a 
telling and in an impressive manner. Indeed, with the inaugura- 
tion of this Association commenced a now' era for science in these 
dominions of the British Crown. It is to us a movement of 
Instoric significance of its own. It falls to the share of the 
greater gatlierings, from which ours is an offspiiiig, to review the 
achance of science thvottghout its various bi’anches in the older 
■seats of learning ; I will therefore not attemyit at the ymrthful 
.stage of the A.ssociati<m hei-e, to lay before you any methodical 
an<l connected accounts of more recent events on the walk of 
knowledge, even should I thereby not anticipate, what my 
honoured colleagues may wish to explain or record in the i’e.spec- 
tive sections, over' which they jjreside. Indeed, in these distant 
locations it seems at present more impoi'tant, to clear away some 
scruple.s, which prevent recognition of our jjurposes, or to render- 
more fully known the w'ide accessibility, affoi-ded for j(riuing in 
these per'iodic gatherings. The de.stimition of this iu.stitution is ,-i 
far wider one, than may be su 2 :)posed generally by our fellow- 
colonists. The word “science” seems in Bi’itish communities 
often to he understood, to apply to rersearches in the domtiin of 
miture exclusively. The acceptance of the word in this sense 
would exclude from our scope much of the best ^r/a^ of what we 
desii-e to accotnplish, whereas really we here woulil wish to 
emhi'ace in our range of discussions and operations, whatever w-as 
meant by the ancient word '■'■scire'’ and hence "scietiiia.” We 
would extend tlris meaning as far as ever the rays of knowledge 
can illuminate, as far as ever the pow er of thought can penetrate. 
Sipcial science, for w hich at the Exhibition of 1880 a congre.ss 
was held hei-e, over which our erudite honorai-y Treasurer 
presided, can merge i-eadily now into sections of this Association. 
Though we cannot expect every member, pei-lmps according tpt 
