Council；　it　would　only　be　necessary　to　alter　them；　and　then　the　award　would　agree　perfectly　with　the　laws。　On　the　other　hand；　it　was　contended；　that　the　original　rules　were　unknown　to　the　public　and　to　the　Society；　and　that；　in　fact；　they　were　only　known　to　the　members　of　the　Council　and　a　few　of　their　friends；　and　therefore　the　award　was　no　breach　of　faith。
  All　comment　on　such　reasoning　is　needless。　That　such　propositions　could　not　merely　be　offered；　but　could　pass　unreproved；　is　sufficient　to　show　that　the　feelings　of　that　body　do　not　harmonize　with　those　of　the　age；　and　furnishes　some　explanation　why　several　of　the　most　active　members　of　the　Royal　Society　have　declined　connecting　their　names　with　the　Council　as　long　as　the　present　system　of　management　is　pursued。
  The　little　interest　taken　by　the　body　of　the　Society；　either　in　its　peculiar　pursuits；　or　in　the　proceedings　of　the　Council；　and　the　little　communication　which　exists　between　them；　is　an　evil。　Thus　it　happens　that　the　deeds　of　the　Council　are　rarely　known　to　the　body　of　the　Society；　and；　indeed；　scarcely　extend　beyond　that　small　portion　who　frequent　the　weekly　meetings。　　These　pages　will　perhaps　afford　the　first　notice　to　the　great　majority　of　the　Society　of　a　breach　of　faith　by　their　Council；　which　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　a　body；　consisting　of　more　than　six　hundred　gentlemen；　could　have　sanctioned。
  SECTION　8。
  OF　THE　COPLEY　MEDALS。
  An　important　distinction　exists　between　scientific　communications；　which　seems　to　have　escaped　the　notice　of　the　Councils　of　the　Royal　Society。　They　may　contain　discoveries　of　new　principles；　of　laws　of　nature　hitherto　unobserved；　or　they　may　consist　of　a　register　of　observations　of　known　phenomena；　made　under　new　circumstances；　or　in　new　and　peculiar　situations　on　the　face　of　our　planet。　　Both　these　species　of　additions　to　our　knowledge　are　important；　but　their　value　and　their　rarity　are　very　different　in　degree。　　To　make　and　to　repeat　observations；　even　with　those　trifling　alterations；　which　it　is　the　fashion　in　our　country　（in　the　present　day）　to　dignify　with　the　name　of　discoveries；　requires　merely　inflexible　candour　in　recording　precisely　the　facts　which　nature　has　presented；　and　a　power　of　fixing　the　attention　on　the　instruments　employed；　or　phenomena　examined；a　talent；　which　can　be　much　improved　by　proper　Instruction；　and　which　is　possessed　by　most　persons　of　tolerable　abilities　and　education。*　To　discover　new　principles；　and　to　detect　the　undiscovered　laws　by　which　nature　operates；　is　another　and　a　higher　task；　and　requires　intellectual　qualifications　of　a　very　different　order：　　the　labour　of　the　one　is　like　that　of　the　computer　of　an　almanac；　the　inquiries　of　the　other　resemble　more　the　researches　of　the　accomplished　analyst；　who　has　invented　the　formula：　　by　which　those　computations　are　performed。
  ＇*That　the　use　even　of　the　large　astronomical　instruments　in　a　national　observatory；　does　not　require　any　very　profound　acquirements；　is　not　an　opinion　which　I　should　have　put　forth　without　authority。　　The　Astronomer…Royal　ought　to　be　the　best　judge。
  On　the　minutes　of　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　for　April　6；　1826；　with　reference　to　the　Assistants　necessary　for　the　two　mural　circles；　we　find　a　letter　from　Mr。　Pond　on　the　subject；　from　which　the　following　passage　is　extracted：
  〃But　to　carry　on　such　investigations；　I　want　indefatigable；　hard…working；　and　above　all；　obedient　drudges　（for　so　I　must　call　them；　although　they　are　drudges　of　a　superior　order）；　men　who　will　be　contented　to　pass　half　their　day　in　using　their　hands　and　eyes　in　the　mechanical　act　of　observing；　and　the　remainder　of　it　in　the　dull　process　of　calculation。〃＇
  Such　being　the　distinction　between　the　merits　of　these　inquiries；　some　difference　ought　to　exist　in　the　nature　of　any　rewards　that　may　be　proposed　for　their　encouragement。　　The　Royal　Society　have　never　marked　this　difference；　and　consequently　those：　　honorary　medals　which　are　given　to　observations；　gain　a　value　which　is　due　to　those　that　are　given　for　discoveries；　whilst　these　latter　are　diminished　in　their　estimation　by　such　an　association。
  I　have　stated　this　distinction；　because　I　think　it　a　just　one；　but　the　public　would　have　little　cause　of　complaint　if　this　were　the　only　ground　of　objection　to　the　mode　of　appropriating　the　Society's　medals。　　The　first　objection　to　be　noticed；　is　the　indistinct　manner　in　which　the　object　for　which　the　medals　are　awarded　is　sometimes　specified。　　A　medal　is　given　to　A。　B。　〃for　his　various　papers。〃
  There　are　cases；　few　perhaps　in　number；　where　such　a　reason　may　be　admissible；　but　it　is　impossible　not　to　perceive　the　weakness　of　those　who　judge　these　matters　legibly　written　in　the　phrase；　〃and　for　his　various　other　communications；〃　which　comes　in　as　the　frequent　tail…piece　to　these　awards。　　With　a　diffidence　in　their　own　powers；　which　might　be　more　admired　if　it　were　more　frequently　expressed；　the　Council　think　to　escape　through　this　loop…hole；　should　the　propriety　of　their　judgment　on　the　main　point　be　called　in　question。　　Thus；　even　the　discovery　which　made　chemistry　a　science；　has　attached　to　it　in　their　award　this　feeble　appendage。
  It　has　been　objected　to　the　Royal　Society；　that　their　medals　have　been　too　much　confined　to　a　certain　set。　　When　the　Royal　medals　were　added　to　their　patronage；　the　past　distribution　of　the　Copley　medals；　furnished　grounds　to　some　of　the　journals　to　predict　the　future　possessors　of　the　new　ones。　　I　shall；　doubtless；　be　told　that　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society　are　persons　of　such　high　feeling；　that　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　their　decision　could　be　influenced　by　any　personal　motives。　　As　I　may　not　have　had　sufficient　opportunities；　during　the　short　time　I　was　a　member　of　that　Council；　to　enable　me　to　form　a　fair　estimate；　I　shall　avail　myself　of　the　judgment　of　one；　from　whom　no　one　will　be　inclined　to　appeal；　who　knew　it　long　and　intimately；　and　who　expressed　his　opinion　deliberately　and　solemnly。
  The　late　Dr。　Wollaston　attached；　as　a　condition　to　be　observed　in　the　distribution　of　the　interest　of　his　munificent　gift　of　2；000L。　to　the　Royal　Society；　the　following　clause：〃And　I　hereby　empower　the　said　President；　Council；　and　Fellows；　after　my　decease；　in　furtherance　of　the　above　declared　objects　of　the　trust；　to　apply　the　said　dividends　to　aid　or　reward　any　individual　or　individuals　of　any　country；　SAVING　ONLY　THAT　NO　PERSON　BEING　A　MEMBER　OF　THE　COUNCIL　FOR　THE　TIME　BEING；　SHALL　RECEIVE　OR　PARTAKE　OF　SUCH　REWARD。〃
  Another　improvement　which　might　be　suggested；　is；　that　it　is　generally　inexpedient　to　vote　a　medal　until　the　paper　which　contains　the　discovery　is　at　least　read　to　the　Society；　perhaps　even　it　might　not　be　quite　unreasonable　to　wish　that　it　should　have　been　printed；　and　consequently　have　been　perused　by　some　few　of　those　who　have　to　decide　on　its　merits。　　These　trifles　have　not　always　been　attended　to；　and　even　so　lately　as　the　last　year；　they　escaped　the　notice　of　the　President　and　his　Council。　　The　Society　was；　however；　indebted　to　the　good　sense　of　Mr。　Faraday；　who　declined　the　proffered　medal；　and　thus　relieved　us　from　one　additional　charge　of　precipitancy。　　＇When　this　hasty　adjudication　was　thus　put　a　stop　to；　one　of　the　members　of　the　Council　inquired；　whether；　as　a　Copley　medal　must　by　the　will　he　annually　given；　some　other　person　might　not　be　found　deserving　of　it。　　To　which　the　Secretary　replied；　〃We　do　not　intend　to　give　any　this　year。〃　All　further　discussion　was　thus　silenced。＇
  Perhaps；　also；　as　the　Council　are　on　some　occasions　apt　to　be　oblivious；　it　might　be　convenient　that　the　President　should　read；　previously　to　the　award　of　any　medals　or　to　the　decision　of　any　other　important　subjects；　the　statutes　relating　to　them。　　He　might　perhaps　propitiate　their　attention　to　them；　by　stating；　HOW　MUCH　IT　IMPORTETH　TO　THE　CONSISTENCY　OF　THE　COUNCIL　TO　BE　ACQUAINTED　WITH　THE　LAWS　ON　WHICH　THEY　ARE　ABOUT　TO　DECIDE。
  If　those　who　have　been　conversant　with　the　internal　management　of　the　Council；　would　communicate　their　information；　something　curious　might　perhaps　be　learned　respecting　a　few　of　these　medals。　　Concerning　those　of　which　I　have　had　good　means　of　information；　I　shall　merely　state　of　three　of　themthat　whatever　may　have　been　the　official　reasons　for　their　award；　I　had　ample　reasons　to　convince　me　of　the　following　being　the　true　causes：
  First。A　medal　was　given　to　A；　at　a　peculiarly　inappropriate　timeBECAUSE　HE　HAD　NOT　HAD　ONE　BEFORE。
  Second。Subsequently　a　medal　was　given　to　B；　in　order　TO　DESTROY　THE　IMPRESSION　WHICH　THE　AWARD　OF　THE　MEDAL　TO　A　HAD　MADE　ON　THE　PUBLIC　THE　PRECEDING　YEAR。
  Third。A　medal　was　given　to　C；　〃BECAUSE　WE　THINK　HE　HAS　BEEN　ILL　USED。〃
  I　will　now　enter　on　an　examination　of　one　of　their　awards；　which　was　peculiarly　injudicious。　I　allude　to　that　concerning　the　mode　of　rendering　platina　malleable。　　Respecting；　as　I　did；　the　illustrious　philosopher　who　invented　the　art；　and　who　has　left　many　other　claims　to　the　gratitude　of　mankind；　I　esteem　it　no　disrespect　to　his　memory　to　place　that　subject　in　its　proper　light。
  An　invention　in　science　or　in　art；　may　justly　be　considered　as　possessing　the　rights　of　property　in　the　highest　degree。　　The　lands　we　inhe