78 
Council. 
Robert Baxter, Esq. (Trustee). 
Rev. A. de la Mare, M.A. 
Rear-Admiral E. G. Eishbourne, C.B. 
R. 1ST. Eoavler, Esq., M.P. ; (Trustee). 
William H. Ince, Esq., E.L.S., 
E.R.M.S. 
Alex. M‘ Arthur, Esq. 
Alfred V. Newton, Esq., E.A.S.L. 
William M. Ord, Esq., M.D. 
S. D. Waddy, Esq. 
William Vanner, Esq., E.R.M.S. 
Alfred J. Woodhouse, Esq., E.RM.S. 
Rev. J. H. Rigg, D.D. 
Rev. C. A. Row, M.A. 
Rev. J. H. Titcomb, M.A. 
J. A. Eraser, Esq., M.D., I.G.H. 
Rev. G. Henslow, M.A., E.L.S. 
Rev Charles Graham. 
T. W. Masterman, Esq. 
H. Cadman Jones, Esq., Barrister-at- 
Law. 
Rev. J. G. Wood, M.A., E.L.S. 
Rev. W. Arthur, D.D. 
C. R. Bree, Esq., M.D., E.Z.S., &c. 
John Eliot Howard, Esq., E.L.S., &c. 
Rev. G. W. Weldon, M.A., B.M., E.LS. 
I have been with Mr. Bradlaugh and his associates in their so-called Hall of 
Science and have acquired a considerable insight into what are their diffi- 
culties and views, and into the fallacious arguments with which they solace 
themselves, and by which they fancy they can hide from themselves that 
broad and pure light of which Dr. Currey has so well spoken. Now what 
I have heard, amongst you to-night has been to me most encouraging and 
gratifying • but we should remember, whilst we meet here as friends, 
all avreeino in receiving that clear light, and rejoicing in its beams, that 
there are others outside who enjoy nothing of the kind. There are those 
upon whom difficulty, darkness, and doubt press like a heavyweight, and we 
must not forget that we have done but a very small part of our work 
when we satisfy ourselves of the truth of our arguments. We have to 
state them to those who, first of all, are not amenable to our arguments at 
all — who do not even care to argue the point with us, who love to think 
they are right, and who do not try to raise the question at all. The difficulty 
is to reach these people. You cannot reach them by argument : your 
theories are sound and good, but of what use are they, unless you can by 
some powerful sympathy get close to these poor creatures whom you want 
to help ? Now, do not think that I undervalue your labours. We must 
have a workshop for forging the great guns with which we hope one day to 
batter down the fortresses of opponents; but the opponents I now speak o 
are not those poor darkened fellow-creatures of ours who are misled, but 
those who are misleading them. With regard to science I quite sympathize 
with what has been said by previous speakers, that we are not m the least 
afraid of it. But in the case of those imperfect theories which are brought 
before us and used as arguments, before they are fit to be introduced into 
the realms of science and true argument,— these are the things which we 
have to deal with. In such a Society as this we are not afraid of any facts— 
brine- us as many facts as you like, but do not bring us these theories. 
General Crawford spoke very properly of the difficulty of getting a scale to 
measure time with, so as to meet the arguments of false scientific reasoners. 
Now I am not a scientific person myself, but I have been much struck by 
one thing, which may interest those who understand these matters better 
than I do. There are two volcanic islands in the Atlantic the islan 
