102 
SECOND REPORT- 1832 . 
the Vice-Presidents elect were Dr. Dalton and Professor Airy ; 
that Professor Henslow and Mr. Whewell had undertaken 
the duties of Secretaries for Cambridge, and the late Vice- 
President, Mr. Harcourt, those of General Secretary; and 
that Mr. John Phillips had been appointed to the office of 
Assistant Secretary. He added, that a Council had been no¬ 
minated to direct the affairs of the Association during the in¬ 
terval which would elapse before the next Meeting of the Ge¬ 
neral Committee. 
The Rev. Professor Sedgwick said, that it would be at all 
times and in all situations one of his greatest pleasures to con¬ 
tribute his assistance to the British Association, and that he 
was willing to give any pledge for the zealous performance of 
the gratifying but arduous duty which had been imposed 
upon him, as far as his ability extended. He might have been 
overwhelmed, indeed, by the prospect of such a task, did he 
not feel confident in the cooperation of many distinguished 
Members of the University of Cambridge, possessing much 
greater powers than his own, and did he not believe that before 
the next Anniversary the organization of the Society would be 
so complete that his duties would be light when compared with 
those of the present President, whom he would take this op¬ 
portunity of publicly thanking for the delightful manner in 
which he had presided over the Meeting, bringing the various 
elements of which it was composed into order and harmony, 
and diffusing sunshine through all its proceedings. He knew 
not how to express strongly enough the satisfaction which he 
had derived from this Meeting, or the delight which he had 
felt at being associated in such a place with such men as Dalton 
and Brew T ster, and Faraday and Brown, in honouring whom 
the Universitv of Oxford had done honour to itself. Studies 
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like those which had lately occupied the Society, consecrated 
by the principles which have pervaded it, could not but tend to 
elevate and purify the mind, to engender mutual friendship, 
mutual forbearance, mutual kindness and confidence ; they pre¬ 
vented the growth of any bad feelings, and caused those which 
were good to germinate with the greatest luxuriance compatible 
with our nature. He looked forward with full assurance to the 
happy results of this union between men of similar sentiments 
and similar pursuits, who possess one common object,—the 
improvement of mankind by the promotion of truth ; and he 
thanked the Association most cordially for the honour which 
it had conferred upon him in electing him to the high office of 
its President. At Cambridge they would endeavour to follows 
though they could scarcely hope to rival, the example of hos- 
