PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE MEETING. 
97 
of tlie Proceedings at York, by my reverend friend the late Vice- 
President, who has had so large a share in founding this Associa¬ 
tion, that I think it needless to occupy your time, either in 
explaining them, or in proving their importance. If any argu¬ 
ment were necessary to justify the attempt nowmade to stimulate 
and combine the energies of science ; if a doubt has existed on 
any man’s mind as to the probability of its success,—I would only 
ask him to look round upon the present audience, and observe 
with how many and what manner of persons this Theatre is 
filled. Such an attendance leaves no room to fear that the 
Meeting should fail of its intended objects. Your presence. 
Gentlemen, adds an indisputable sanction to the proceedings 
of last year, and fulfils the warmest hopes which the promoters 
of the Association had indulged. 
“ I will detain you no longer from the scientific business of the 
Meeting than may be necessary to apprise you of the regulations 
which the Committee has adopted for carrying it on in such a 
method as may enable it to accomplish all its objects. The 
greatest facilities have been afforded to our proceedings by 
the authorities of the University, who have granted us every pos¬ 
sible accommodation, and shown in all instances the most li¬ 
beral disposition to promote our views. The Chancellor, Lord 
Grenville,—a name which I can never utter without grateful 
veneration,—when I had first the honour of communicating to 
him the proposal of the Association to hold the present Meet¬ 
ing in this place, was pleased instantly to reply, that it was his 
ardent desire to be enrolled among its Members. From that 
moment he has by all the means in his power seconded our 
wishes ; and within these few days,—from his retirement, from 
that calm and peaceful retirement, in which, after the labours 
of an arduous political life, after exercising the highest functions 
of the statesman, he now enjoys the dignified repose of the 
scholar and philosopher,—he has expressed to me his heart¬ 
felt regret that he is debarred by the infirmities of advanced 
life from being present in Oxford at a moment so interesting 
as this. The Vice-Chancellor, Gentlemen, and the other 
Governors of the University, have placed at your disposal 
the Theatre in which we are now assembled, and the numerous 
rooms wdiich have been lately fitted up for academical and 
scientific purposes in the Clarendon Building. These will be 
found very conveniently adapted to answer the exigencies of a 
Meeting, before which so great a variety of matter is to be 
brought: the business of your several Committees and Sec¬ 
tional Meetings will be separately distributed in them ; the 
Committee of Mathematics and General Physics will meet in one 
room ; that of Chemistry and Mineralogy in another ; that of 
G 
