decline of science in england-第27章

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e　invidious　act　of　blackballing　would　cease；　and　with　it　all　feelings　of　resentment　and　mortification；　as　the　result　of　such　an　open　competition　could　only　be　construed　by　the　public　into　a　fair　preference　of　the　superior　claims　of　the　successful　few；　and　not　into　a　direct　and　disgraceful　rejection　of　the　others。

Your　Committee　are　fully　aware；　that　such　a　reduction　in　the　usual　admissions　would　materially　affect　the　pecuniary　resources　of　the　Society；　but　they　are　at　the　same　time　convinced；　that　by　a　vigorous　economy　its　present　income　might　be　rendered　adequate　to　all　its　real　wants；　and　the　aggregate　expenditure　might　be　considerably　diminished　by　many　small　but　wholesome　retrenchments。

It　appears；　from　the　accounts　of　last　year；　that　although　1200L。　was　received　for　compositions；　in　addition　to　the　standing　income；　and　usual　contributions；　&c。；　and　although　no　money　was　invested；　yet　there　was　a　balance　only　of　a　few　pounds　at　the　end　of　the　year。　It　further　appears；　that　500L。　was　paid　for　the　paper；　370L。　for　engravings；　and　nearly　340L。　for　printing；　and　from　those　alarming　facts；　your　Committee　submit　to　your　consideration；　whether　the　expenditure　might　not　be　beneficially　controlled　by　a　standing　Committee　of　Finance。

In　obedience　to　the　latter　part　of　your　resolution；　your　Committee　now　proceed　to　offer　some　further　suggestions　for　your　consideration。　　They　conceive　that　it　would　afford　a　beneficial　stimulus　to　individual　exertion；　if　the　Fellows　who　have　received　the　medals　of　the　Society；　and　those　who　have　repeatedly　enriched　its　Transactions；　were　distinguished　by　being　collected　into　a　separate　and　honourable　list。　　It　would　also　be　found；　perhaps；　not　less　a　future　incentive　than　an　act　of　retrospective　justice；　if　the　names　of　all　those　illustrious　Fellows　who　have　formerly　obtained　the　medals；　as　well　as　of　all　those　individuals　who　have　been　large　benefactors　to　the　Society；　were　recorded　at　the　end　of　the　list。　　It　would　be　a　satisfactory　addition　likewise　to　the　annual　list；　if　all　those　Fellows　who　have　died；　or　had　been　admitted　within　the　preceding　year；　were　regularly　noticed。　　And　your　Committee　think；　that　these　lists　should　always　form　part　of　the　Transactions；　and　be　stitched　up　with　the　last　part　of　the　volume。

It　requires　no　argument　to　demonstrate　that　the　well…being　of　the　Society　mainly　depends　on　the　activity　and　integrity　of　its　Council；　and　as　their　selection　is　unquestionably　of　paramount　importance；　your　Committee　hope　that　our　excellent　President　will　not　consider　it　any　impeachment　of　his　impartiality；　or　any　doubt　of　his　zeal；　if　they　venture　to　suggest；　that　the　usual　recommendation　to　the　Society　of　proper　members　for　the　future　Council　should　henceforth　be　considered　as　a　fit　subject　for　the　diligent　and　anxious　deliberation　of　the　expiring　Council。

There　is　another　point　of　great　moment　to　the　character　of　the　Society；　and　to　the　dignified　station　it　occupies　among　the　learned　associations　of　Europe；　for　its　character　abroad　can　only　be　appreciated　by　the　nature　and　value　of　its　Transactions。　　Your　Committee　allude　to　the　important　task　of　deciding　on　what　papers　should　be　published；　and　they　are　of　opinion　that　it　would　be　a　material　improvement　on　the　present　mode；　if　each　paper　were　referred　to　a　separate　Committee；　who　should　have　sufficient　time　given　them　to　examine　it　carefully；　who　should　be　empowered　to　communicate　on　any　doubtful　parts　with　the　author；　and　who　should　report；　not　only　their　opinion；　but　the　grounds　on　which　that　opinion　is　formed；　for　the　ultimate　decision　of　the　Council。

If　it　should　be　thought　fit　to　adopt　the　suggestions　which　your　Committee　have　now　had　the　honour　of　proposing；　they　beg　leave　to　move；　that　another　Committee　be　appointed；　with　directions　to　frame　or　to　alter　the　necessary　statutes；　so　that　they　may　be　in　strict　accordance　with　the　charters。

In　concluding　the　Report；　your　Committee　do　not　wish　to　disguise　the　magnitude　of　some　of　the　measures　they　have　thought　it　their　duty　to　propose；　on　the　contrary；　they　would　not　only　urge　the　fullest　discussion　of　their　expediency；　but　further；　that　if　you　should　even　be　unanimously　disposed　to　confirm　them；　your　Committee　would　recommend；　that　the　several　statutes；　when　they　have　been　drawn　up　or　modified；　should　be　only　entered　on　your　minutes；　and　not　finally　enacted。　　All　innovations　in　the　constitution；　or　even　the　habits　of　the　Royal　Society；　should　be　scrutinized　with　the　most　jealous　circumspection。　　It　is　enough　for　the　present　Council　to　have　traced　the　plan；　let　the　Council　of　the　ensuing　sessions　share　the　credit　of　carrying　that　plan　into　effect。

This　Report　was　presented　to　the　Council　very　＇ate　in　the　session　of　1827；　and　on　the　25th　of　June　there　occurs　the　following　entry　on　the　council…book：

〃The　Report　of　the　Committee　for　considering　the　best　means　of　limiting　the　number　of　members；　and　such　other　suggestions　as　they　may　think　conducive　to　the　good　of　the　Society；　was　received　and　read；　and　ordered　to　be　entered　on　the　minutes；　and　the　Council；　regarding　the　importance　of　the　subject；　and　its　bearings　on　the　essential　interests　of　the　Society；　in　conformity　with　the　concluding　paragraph；　and　considering　also　the　advanced　stage　of　the　session；　recommend　it　to　the　most　serious　and　early　consideration　of　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year。〃

Those　who　advocated　these　alterations；　were　in　no　hurry　for　their　hasty　adoption；　they　were　aware　of　their　magnitude；　and　anxious　for　the　fullest　investigation　before　one　of　them　should　be　tried。

Unfortunately；　the　concluding　recommendation　of　the　Committee　did　not　coincide　with　the　views　of　Mr。　Gilbert；　whom　the　party　had　determined　to　make　their　new　President。　　That　gentleman　made　such　arrangements　for　the　Council　of　the　succeeding　year；　that　when　the　question　respecting　the　consideration　of　the　Report　of　that　Committee　was　brought　forward；　it　was　thrown　aside　in　the　manner　I　have　stated。　　Thus　a　report；　sanctioned　by　the　names　of　such　a　committee；　and　recommended　by　one　Council　to　〃THE　MOST　SERIOUS　and　EARLY　consideration　of　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year；〃　was　by　that　very　Council　rejected；　without　even　the　ceremony　of　discussing　its　merits。　　Was　every　individual　recommendation　it　contained；　not　merely　unfit　to　be　adopted；　but　so　totally　deficient　in　plausibility　as　to　be　utterly　unworthy　of　discussion？　　Or　did　the　President　and　his　officers　feel；　that　their　power　rested　on　an　insecure　foundation；　and　that　they　did　not　possess　the　confidence　of　the　　working　members　of　the　Society？



CHAPTER　V。

OF　OBSERVATIONS。

There　are　several　reflections　connected　with　the　art　of　making　observations　and　experiments；　which　may　be　conveniently　arranged　in　this　chapter。


SECTION　1。

OF　MINUTE　PRECISION。

No　person　will　deny　that　the　highest　degree　of　attainable　accuracy　is　an　object　to　be　desired；　and　it　is　generally　found　that　the　last　advances　towards　precision　require　a　greater　devotion　of　time；　labour；　and　expense；　than　those　which　precede　them。　　The　first　steps　in　the　path　of　discovery；　and　the　first　approximate　measures；　are　those　which　add　most　to　the　existing　knowledge　of　mankind。

The　extreme　accuracy　required　in　some　of　our　modern　inquiries　has；　in　some　respects；　had　an　unfortunate　influence；　by　favouring　the　opinion；　that　no　experiments　are　valuable；　unless　the　measures　are　most　minute；　and　the　accordance　amongst　them　most　perfect。　　It　may；　perhaps；　be　of　some　use　to　show；　that　even　with　large　instruments；　and　most　practised　observers；　this　is　but　rarely　the　case。　　The　following　extract　is　taken　from　a　representation　made　by　the　present　Astronomer…Royal；　to　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　on　the　advantages　to　be　derived　from　the　employment　of　two　mural　circles：

〃That　by　observing；　with　two　instruments；　the　same　objects　at　the　same　time；　and　in　the　same　manner；　we　should　be　able　to　estimate　how　much　of　that　OCCASIONAL　DISCORDANCE　FROM　THE　MEAN；　which　attends　EVEN　THE　MOST　CAREFUL　OBSERVATIONS；　ought　to　be　attributed　to　irregularity　of　refraction；　and　how　much　to　THE　IMPERFECTIONS　OF　INSTRUMENTS。〃

In　confirmation　of　this　may　be　adduced　the　opinion　of　the　late　M。　Delambre；　which　is　the　more　importa