decline of science in england-第11部分

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dying　it。

Their　Lordships'　intention　therefore　is；　to　propose　to　Captain　Kater　and　Mr。　Herschel；　to　continue　to　fill　this　office；　and　to　Dr。Young；　who　had　resigned　it；　on　receiving　the　appointment　of　Secretary　to　the　late　Board　of　Longitude；　to　be　appointed。

I　am；　Sir；　Your　obedient　servant；　JOHN　BARROW。

The　representation　made　by　the　Council　was　not　calculated　to　produce　much　effect；　but　the　Secretary　of　the　Admiralty；　who　knew　well　the　stuff　of　which　Councils　of　the　Royal　Society　are　composed；　might　have　spared　the　bitter　irony　of　making　their　Lordships　say；　that　they　recommended　this　plan　〃AS　A　MARK　OF　RESPECT　TO　THE　SOCIETY；〃　and　〃AS　A　PLEDGE　TO　THE　PUBLIC　OF　THE　QUALIFICATIONS　OF　THE　PERSONS　CHOSEN；〃　whilst　he　delicately　hints　to　them　their　dependent　situation；　by　observing；　that　the　〃RESIDENT　COMMITTEE　IS　ALSO　ANNUALLY　APPOINTED。〃

The　Secretary　knew　that；　PRACTICALLY　speaking；　it　had　been　the　custom　for　years　for　the　President　of　the　Royal　Society　to　nominate　the　Council；　and　consequently　he　knew　that　every　scientific　adviser　must　first　be　indebted　to　the　President　for　being　qualified　to　advise；　and　then　to　the　Admiralty　for　deriving　profit　from　his　counsel。　　Thus　then　their　Lordships；　as　a　〃MARK　OF　RESPECT　FOR　THE　SOCIETY〃　confirm　the　dependence　of　the　Council　on　the　President；　by　making　his　nomination　a　qualification　for　place；　and　establish　a　new　dependence　of　the　same　Council　on　themselves；　by　giving　a　hundred　pounds　each　year　to　such　three　members　of　that　Council　as　they　may　select。　　〃THE　PLEDGE〃　they　offer　〃TO　THE　PUBLIC；　OF　THE　QUALIFICATIONS　OF　THE　PERSONS　CHOSEN；〃　is；　that　Mr。　Davies　Gilbert　had　previously　thought　they　would　do　for　his　Council。

What　the　Society；　when　they　are　acquainted　with　it；　may　think　of　this　mark　of　respect；　or　what　value　the　public　may　put　upon　this　pledge；　must　be　left　to　themselves　to　express。

In　looking　over　the　list　of　officers　and　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　the　weakest　perhaps　（for　purposes　of　science）　which　was　ever　made；　a　consolation　arises　from　the　possibility　of　some　of　those　who　were　placed　there　by　way　of　compliment；　occasionally　attending。　　In　that　contracted　field　Lord　Melville's　penetration　may　not　be　uselessly　employed；　and　the　soldier　who　presides　over　our　colonies　may　judge　whether　the　principles　which　pervade　it　are　open　and　liberal　as　his　own。

The　inconvenience　to　the　public　service　from　such　an　arrangement　is；　that　the　number　out　of　which　the　advisers　are　selected　must；　in　any　case；　be　very　small；　and　may；　from　several　circumstances；　be　considerably　reduced。　　In　a　council　fairly　selected；　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　the　various　subjects　likely　to　be　brought　under　the　consideration　of　the　Society；　anatomy；　chemistry；　and　the　different　branches　of　natural　history；　will　share　with　the　numerous　departments　of　physical　science；　in　claiming　to　be　represented　by　persons　competently　skilled　in　those　subjects。　These　claims　being　satisfied；　but　few　places　will　be　left　to　fill　up　with　mathematicians；　astronomers；　and　persons　conversant　with　nautical　astronomy。

Let　us　look　at　the　present　Council。　　Is　there　a　single　mathematician　amongst　them；　if　we　except　Mr　Barlow；　whose　deservedly　high　reputation　rests　chiefly　on　his　physical　and　experimental　inquiries；　and　whom　the　President　and　the　Admiralty　have　clearly　shown　they　do　not　look　upon　as　a　mathematician；　by　not　appointing　him　an　adviser？

Small　as　the　number　of　those　persons　on　the　Council；　who　are　conversant　with　the　three　subjects　named　in　the　Act　of　Parliament；　must　usually　be；　it　may　be　still　further　diminished。　The　President；　when　he　forms　his　Council；　may　decline　naming　those　members　who　are　most　fit　for　such　situations。　　Or；　on　the　other　hand；　some　of　those　members　who　are　best　qualified　for　them；　from　their　knowledge；　may　decline　the　honour　of　being　the　nominees　of　Mr。　Gilbert；　as　Vice　Presidents；　Treasurers；　or　Councillors；　and　thus　lending　their　names　to　support　a　system　of　which　they　disapprove。

Whether　the　first　of　these　causes　has　ever　operated　can　be　best　explained　by　those　gentlemen　who　have　been　on　the　Council。　　The　refusals　are；　notwithstanding　the　President's　taciturnity　on　the　subject；　better　known　than　he　is　willing　that　they　should　be。

Having　discussed　the　general　policy　of　the　measure；　with　reference　both　to　the　Society　and　to　the　public；　and　without　the　slightest　reference　to　the　individuals　who　may　have　refused　or　accepted　those　situations；　I　shall　now　examine　the　propriety　of　the　appointments　that　have　been　made。

Doubtless　the　gentlemen　who　now　hold　those　situations　either　have　never　considered　the　influence　such　a　mode　of　selection　would　have　on　the　character　of　the　Council；　or；　having　considered　it；　they　must　have　arrived　at　a　different　conclusion　from　mine。　There　may；　however；　be　arguments　which　I　have　overlooked；　and　a　discussion　of　them　must　ultimately　lead　to　truth：　but　I　confess　that　it　appears　to　me　the　objections　which　have　been　stated　rest　on　principles　of　human　nature；　too　deeply　seated　to　be　easily　removed。

That　I　am　not　singular　in　the　view　I　have　taken　of　this　subject；　appears　from　several　circumstances。　　A　question　was　asked　respecting　these　appointments　at　the　Anniversary　before　the　last；　and；　from　the　nature　of　the　answer；　many　of　the　members　of　the　Society　have　been　led　to　believe　the　objections　have　been　removed。　　Several　Fellows　of　the　Society；　who　knew　these　facts；　thought　it　inexpedient　ever　to　vote　for　placing　any　gentleman　on　the　Council　who　had　accepted　these　situations；　and；　having　myself　the　same　view　of　the　case；　I　applied　to　the　Council　to　be　informed　of　the　names　of　the　present　Scientific　Advisers。　　But　although　they　remonstrated　against　the　PRINCIPLE；　they　replied　that　they　had　〃NO　COGNIZANCE〃　of　the　fact。

The　two　first　members　of　the　Council；　Mr。　Herschel　and　Captain　Kater；　who　were　so　　appointed；　and　who　had　previously　been　Resident　Commissioners　under　the　Act；　immediately　refused　the　situations。　　Dr。　Young　became　one　of　the　Advisers；　and　Captain　Sabine　and　Mr。　Faraday　were　appointed　by　the　Admiralty　as　the　two　remaining　ones。　　Of　Dr。　Young；　who　died　shortly　after；　I　shall　only　observe　that　he　possessed　knowledge　which　qualified　him　for　the　situation。

Whether　those　who　at　present　fill　these　offices　can　be　said　to　belong　to　that　class　of　persons　which　the　Order　in　Council　and　the　Act　of　Parliament　point　out；　is　a　matter　on　which　doubt　may　reasonably　be　entertained。　　The　Order　in　Council　speaks　of　these　three　persons　as　being　the　same；　and　having　the　〃SAME　DUTIES〃　as　those　mentioned　in　the　Act；　and　it　recites　the　words　of　the　Act；　that　they　shall　be　persons　〃WELL　VERSED　IN　THE　SCIENCES　OF　MATHEMATICS　ASTRONOMY；　AND　NAVIGATION。〃　Of　the　fitness　of　the　gentlemen　who　now　hold　those　situations　to　pronounce　judgment　on　mathematical　questions；　the　public　will　be　better　able　to　form　an　opinion　when　they　shall　have　communicated　to　the　world　any　of　their　own　mathematical　inquiries。　　Although　it　is　the　practice　to　consider　that　acceptance　of　office　is　alone　necessary　to　qualify　a　man　for　a　statesman；　a　similar　doctrine　has　not　yet　prevailed　in　the　world　of　science。　　One　of　these　gentlemen；　who　has　established　his　reputation　as　a　chemist；　stands　in　the　same　predicament　with　respect　to　the　other　two　sciences。　　It　remains　then　to　consider　Captain　Sabine's　claims；　which　must　rest　on　his　skill　in　〃PRACTICAL　ASTRONOMY　AND　NAVIGATION；〃　a　claim　which　can　only　be　allowed　when　the　scientific　world　are　set　at　rest　respecting　the　extraordinary　nature　of　those　observations　contained　in　his　work　on　the　Pendulum。

That　volume；　printed　under　the　authority　of　the　Board　of　Longitude；　excited　at　its　appearance　considerable　attention。　　The　circumstance　of　the　Government　providing　instruments　and　means　of　transport　for　the　purpose　of　these　inquiries；　placed　at　Captain　Sabine's　disposal　means　superior　to　those　which　amateurs　can　generally　afford；　whilst　the　industry　with　which　he　availed　himself　of　these　opportunities；　enabled　him　to　bring　home　multitudes　of　observations　from　situations　rarely　visited　with　such　instruments；　and　for　such　purposes。

The　remarkable　agreement　with　each　other；　which　was　found　to　exist　amongst　each　class　of　observations；　was　as　unexpected　by　those　most　conversant　with　the　respective　processes；　as　it　was　creditable　to　one　who　had　devoted　but　a　few　years　to　the　subject；　and　who；　in　the　course　of　those　voyages；　used　some　of　the　instruments　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。

This　accordance　amongst　the　results　was　such；　that　naval　officers　of　the　greatest　experience；　confessed　themselves　unable　to　take　such　lunars；　whilst　other　observers；　long　versed　in　the　use　of　the　transit　instrument；　avowed　their　inability　to　take　such　transits。　　Those　who　were　conversant　with　pendulums；　were　at　a　loss　how　to　make；　even　under　more　favourable　circumstances；　similarly　concordant　observations。　　The　same　opinion　prevailed　on　the　continent　as　well　as　in　England。　On　whatever　subject　Captain　Sabine　touched；　the　observations　he　published　seemed　by　their　accuracy　to　leave　former　observers　at　a　distance。　The　methods　of　using　the　instruments　scarcely　differed　in　any　important　point　from　those　before　adopted；　and；　but　for　a　fortunate　discovery；　which　I　shall　presently　relate；　the　world　must　have　concluded　that　Captain　Sabine　possessed　some　keenness　of　vision；　or　acuteness　of　touch；　which　it　would　be　hopeless　for　any　to　expect　to　rival。

The　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　spared　no　pains　to　stamp　the　accuracy　of　these　observations　with　their　testimony。　　They　seem　to　have　thrust　Captain　Sabine's　name　perpetually　on　their　minutes；　and　in　a　manner　which　must　have　been　almost　distressing：　they　recommend　him　in　a　letter　to　the　Admiralty；　then　in　another　to　the　Ordnance；　and　several　of　the　same　persons；　in　their　other　capacity；　as　members　of　the　Board　of　Longitude；　after　voting　him　a　THOUSAND　POUNDS　for　these　observations；　are　said　to　have　again　recommended　him　to　the　Master…General　of　the　Ordnance。　　That　an　officer；　commencing　his　scientific　career；　should　be　misled　by　such　praises；　was　both　natural　and　pardonable；　but　that　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　should　adopt　their　opinion　so　heedlessly；　and　maintain　it　so　pertinaciously；　was　as　cruel　to　the　observer　as　it　was　injurious　to