16 
FIRST REPORT- 1831. 
by coming from so great a distance, their desire to cooperate 
with the movers of this Meeting, and to carry its objects into 
effect. Similar Meetings, it is well known, have taken place 
on the continent of Europe, which have been attended by the 
most beneficial effects, and I trust that the same effects will 
attend those that we are now commencing here. In our insular 
and insulated country, we have few opportunities of communi¬ 
cating with the cultivators of science in other parts of the 
world. It is the more necessary, therefore, to adopt means for 
opening new channels of communication with them, and at the 
same time of promoting a greater degree of scientific intercourse 
among ourselves. Nor do I see any reason to doubt the suc¬ 
cessful issue of this undertaking. When I consider what the 
Yorkshire Philosophical Society has accomplished,—when I 
view the establishments it has founded, and when I recollect, 
that it has not existed for more than eight or ten years ; having 
owed its origin, I believe, to the curious discoveries which were 
made at Kirkdale,—when, I say, we can trace the progress of 
a body now so considerable, to so inconsiderable a source,— 
may we not entertain a confident hope, that the Meetings thus 
auspiciously begun, will rapidly advance to still greater import¬ 
ance, and become the source of incalculable advantage to 
science hereafter ? In addition to other more direct benefits, 
I hope they will be the means of impressing on the Government 
of this country the conviction, that the love of scientific pursuits, 
and the means of pursuing them, are not confined to the metro¬ 
polis ; and I hope that when the Government is fully impressed 
with the knowledge of the great desire entertained to promote 
science in every part of the empire, they will see the necessity 
of affording it due encouragement, and of giving every proper 
stimulus to its advancement. Perhaps the most effectual method 
of promoting science is by removing the obstacles which op¬ 
pose its progress; though I am aware of the fact, that there 
are some investigations which require to be carried on upon so 
great a scale, as to be beyond the reach of individual enterprise: 
and to these, undoubtedly, the energies of Government should 
be directed. We all know, that the laws of this country,— 
I mean in particular the fiscal laws of this country,—offer nu¬ 
merous obstacles to scientific improvements. I will name only 
one instance. In the science of optics very serious obstacles 
are found to result from the regulations relative to the manufac¬ 
ture of glass. I mention only this ; but it must occur to many 
of the persons present, that there are various other instances, 
in which the laws interfere materially with the progress of 
science. With regard to the more direct advantages which 
we have a right to anticipate from these Meetings, I have no 
