ROYAL SOCIETY. 
ADDRESS 
OF THE 
RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRESIDENT, 
READ AT 
The Anniversary Meeting, November 30, 1853. 
Gentlemen, 
I AM happy that it is in my power again to congratulate you on the 
progress made in the researches which have been carried on, aided 
by the Grant the Government have placed at your disposal : after 
an experience of more than three years w'e may say with confidence 
that much has been accomplished. At first there were some mis- 
givings : continental experience was not altogether relied upon. Al- 
though it had been very much the practice of foreign governments 
to take an active part in encouraging the pursuit of science, and with 
decided success, here the smallest elFort in that direction was looked 
upon by some as an experiment little harmonizing with our institu- 
tions, our feelings, perhaps our prejudices, and only to be followed 
by failure and disappointment. It was feared that because occasion- 
ally there had been some difficulty in employing effectively the small 
fund which had been bequeathed to us, that therefore there would 
be increased difficulty in employing a larger fund ; and this no doubt 
would have happened if there had been restrictions limiting the 
application of the larger fund to certain specific objects, or if the 
field of discovery had been of limited extent : the reverse however 
was the case. Your Council were not embarrassed by any unwise 
restrictions, and in science there is room for every one. It is one 
0 the deductions of economic science that labour creates a demand 
or labour; in fact, that where a community is industrious, and 
mbour accumulates and becomes capital, that there the people will be 
fully employed ; the same is true in the inductive sciences, and it 
