PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING. 
21 
ings, as it was proposed to admit a more popular audience to 
these.” 
Mr. Phillips having concluded his statement,—Mr. William 
Harcourt again rose and read extracts from letters which had 
been addressed to him by Mr. Chantrey, Mr. Faraday, and Dr. 
Buckland, who had been reluctantly prevented from attending 
the Meeting by pressing engagements. Mr. Chantrey, he said, 
had given the Yorkshire Philosophical Society another proof of 
his liberal disposition to promote science, by presenting to its 
Museum on this occasion, a Cast of the celebrated specimen 
of Plesiosaurus in the Duke of Buckingham’s collection. He 
then read a letter which he had received from the Duke of 
Sussex, who had been invited to honour the Meeting with his 
presence. The letter stated, that nothing would have afforded 
His Royal Highness greater pleasure than to have complied with 
the invitation, if he had not been unfortunately pre-engaged. 
“ You will, therefore,” His Royal Highness added, “be so kind 
as to express my regret on the occasion, accompanied with my 
best wishes for the success of so praiseworthy an object, and an 
assurance on my part, of my warm cooperation in promoting 
any measure which may be suggested, and sanctioned by such a 
respectable Meeting.” 
Mr. Harcourt then commenced his exposition of the Objects 
and Plan of the Association. 
“ When we came to meditate, Gentlemen, on the means of 
giving stability and continuance to such Meetings as these, when 
we considered how little command of time men of science in this 
country enjoy, and how difficultly they are drawn from their oc¬ 
cupations and homes, we could not but entertain a doubt 
whether the inducement of meeting one another, without a more 
imperative call, would be powerful enough to bring them an¬ 
nually together from distant parts of the kingdom. But, if there 
were objects of more essential consequence, which a yearly ag¬ 
gregate Meeting might propose to accomplish, objects now un¬ 
attempted, and yet of the highest moment to the advancement 
of science, then we apprehended, that those who have any zeal 
to advance it would not lightly absent themselves from such a 
Meeting, and that thus the benefit of personal intercourse would 
follow in the train of still more important advantages. 
“ Views of this extent, however, were not to be indulged with¬ 
out consultation ; and, before we ventured to bring them for¬ 
ward, we inquired the opinions of several of the most distinguish¬ 
ed among the lights of British science: from some of those who 
were consulted, we received warm encouragement and valuable 
suggestions, whilst to others we were indebted for cautions, of 
V 
