44 
FIRST REPORT— 1831 . 
upon this occasion, both the grave assent of Science and the 
soft sanction of Beauty. I move that the thanks of this Meeting 
be given to Dr. Brewster, and the other authors who have 
favoured us with their communications.” 
Mr. Murchison then rose, and “on the part of Dr. Brewster 
and his other scientific friends, begged leave to return thanks 
for the high honour done to the contributors of scientific me¬ 
moirs, and for the valuable aid which had been received from 
the residents of York and its neighbourhood, in the promotion 
of the objects of the Meeting.” He explained the motives which 
induced the original promoters of it to select the city of York 
for their first assembly. “To this city,” he said, “as the 
cradle of the Association, we shall ever look back with grati¬ 
tude ; and, whether we meet hereafter on the banks of the 
Isis, the Cam, or the Forth, to this spot, to this beautiful 
building, we shall still fondly revert, and hail with delight the 
period at which in our periodical revolution we shall return 
to the point of our first attraction.” Mr. Murchison, after ex¬ 
pressing his sense of the kind reception and hospitality which 
the strangers there collected had experienced from the Arch¬ 
bishop, and from all classes of the inhabitants of the city and 
neighbourhood, concluded with a motion of thanks as follows : 
—“That the cultivators of science, here assembled, return their 
most grateful thanks to His Grace the Archbishop of York, 
and the other Members of the Yorkshire Philosophical So¬ 
ciety, for the very liberal manner in which, by the use of their 
Halls and Museum, and b} r their obliging and unwearied 
efforts to provide every accommodation and comfort to those 
who have visited York on the present occasion, they have so 
essentially contributed to the success and prosperity of this 
Association.” 
This motion was seconded by Dr. Brewster, and supported 
by Mr. Dalton. Mr. Harcourt, who was in the chair, then 
said, that “ it was quite unnecessary, from the feelings which 
he knew to pervade the breasts of all, both strangers and 
residents, to put to the vote of the Meeting either of the 
proposals so eloquently brought forward. In the long period 
of its existence the ancient city of York had never greater 
reason to be proud, than of the genius and talent it contained 
within its walls at that moment, and of the honour it had ac¬ 
quired in being the birth-place of an Association destined, he 
firmly believed, greatly to enlarge the boundaries of science, 
and in so doing to advance the many interests of human nature 
which depend upon the improvement of knowledge.” He then 
declared the Meeting to be adjourned to Oxford. 
