1876.] Encouragement of Scientific Research. 493 
and duties to offer themselves as candidates for fellowships 
or professorships ; among British subjects educated abroad, 
and, lastly, upon the important class who have qualified 
themselves for research by private study without having 
ever been connected with any college or public institution. 
Nay, even those who have won a fellowship and hold it, 
according to our proposal, on condition of not remaining idle, 
would work all the more zealously if in prospeCt of further 
rewards consequent upon success. 
We suggest, therefore, that some learned body or bodies 
of high position should have the duty of examining all 
papers sent in and should be enabled to reward the authors 
of such as are found of value with a round sum of money 
proportionate to their merits. The details of such a scheme 
will of course require long and careful consideration, but we 
submit that the most suitable body to be entrusted with a 
task so responsible and so honourable would be the Royal 
Society. From its midst it would be easy to select a com- 
mittee fully competent to pronounce on the value of any 
paper placed in their hands and no less above suspicion of 
foul play. As to the requisite funds, if Henry Cavendish 
had only carried out his original plan of bequeathing his 
large portion to the Royal Society for the furtherance of 
research no difficulty would have existed. As, however, he 
unfortunately altered his intention, the needful resources 
would have to be provided either by a Parliamentary vote or 
by private bequests, donations, and subscriptions. Those 
who mistrust the impartiality of the Royal Society are re- 
minded that the application of funds obtained in either of 
these ways would be jealously scrutinised, and that any 
suspicion^even of favouritism, would at once lead to a rigid 
investigation. The papers sent in might, as in the case of 
tenders for a contract, be signed, not with the author’s 
name, but with some motto or cypher. As to the scale of 
reward, we should suggest that a paper pronounced worthy 
of insertion in the “ Philosophical Transactions,” should 
entitle its author to — say £ 500 . 
As an alternative proposal, the task of considering and 
rewarding original investigation, instead of being committed 
exclusively to one body, might be distributed among several, 
as, e.g., the British Association, which does already assist 
research by sums voted as subsidies to men of science en- 
gaged with certain specified questions. The Astronomical, 
Linnean, Geological, and other Societies, might also be pro- 
posed as qualified and entitled to a share of this duty. To 
us, however, there appear weighty objections to any division. 
