here　be　traced；　this　has　not　been　the　customone　individual　has　monopolized　it　year　after　year；　and　it　seems；　like　the　Fairchild　Lecture；　rather　to　have　been　regarded　as　a　pension。　　There　have；　however；　been　some　intervals；　and　we　are　still　under　obligations　to　those　who　have　supported　THE　SYSTEM；　for　not　appointing　Sir　Everard　Home　to　read　the　Croonian　Lecture　twenty　years　in　SUCCESSION。　　Had　it　been　otherwise；　we　might　have　heard　of　vested　rights。
  SECTION　11。
  OF　THE　CAUSES　OF　THE　PRESENT　STATE　OF　THE　ROYAL　SOCIETY。
  The　best　friends　of　the　Royal　Society　have　long　admitted；　whilst　they　regretted；　its　declining　fame；　and　even　those　who　support　whatever　exists；　begin　a　little　to　doubt　whether　it　might　not　possibly　be　amended。
  The　great　and　leading　cause　of　the　present　state　to　which　the　Royal　Society　is　reduced；　may　be　traced　to　years　of　misrule　to　which　it　has　been　submitted。　　In　order　to　understand　this；　it　will　be　necessary　to　explain　the　nature　of　that　misrule；　and　the　means　employed　in　perpetuating　it。
  It　is　known；　that　by　the　statutes；　the　body　of　the　Society　have　the　power　of　electing；　annually；　their　President；　Officers；　and　Council；　and　it　is　also　well　known；　that　this　is　a　merely　nominal　power；　and　that　printed　lists　are　prepared　and　put　into　the　hands　of　the　members　on　their　entering　the　room；　and　thus　passed　into　the　balloting　box。　　If　these　lists　were；　as　in　other　scientific　societies；　openly　discussed　in　the　Council；　and　then　offered　by　them　as　recommendations　to　the　Society；　little　inconvenience　would　arise；　but　the　fact　is；　that　they　are　private　nominations　by　the　President；　usually　without　notice；　to　the　Council；　and　all　the　supporters　of　the　system　which　I　am　criticizing；　endeavour　to　uphold　the　right　of　this　nomination　in　the　President；　and　prevent　or　discourage　any　alteration。
  The　Society　has；　for　years；　been　managed　by　a　PARTY；　or　COTERIE；　or　by　whatever　other　name　may　be　most　fit　to　designate　a　combination　of　persons；　united　by　no　expressed　compact　or　written　regulations；　but　who　act　together　from　a　community　of　principles。　That　each　individual　has　invariably　supported　all　the　measures　of　the　party；　is　by　no　means　the　case；　and　whilst　instances　of　opposition　amongst　them　have　been　very　rare；　a　silent　resignation　to　circumstances　has　been　the　most　usual　mode　of　meeting　measures　they　disapproved。　　The　great　object　of　this；　as　of　all　other　parties；　has　been　to　maintain　itself　in　power；　and　to　divide；　as　far　as　it　could；　all　the　good　things　amongst　its　members。　　It　has　usually　consisted　of　persons　of　very　moderate　talent；　who　have　had　the　prudence；　whenever　they　could；　to　associate　with　themselves　other　members　of　greater　ability；　provided　these　latter　would　not　oppose　the　system；　and　would　thus　lend　to　it　the　sanction　of　their　name。　The　party　have　always　praised　each　other　most　highlyhave　invariably　opposed　all　improvements　in　the　Society；　all　change　in　the　mode　of　management；　and　have　maintained；　that　all　those　who　wished　for　any　alteration　were　factious；　and；　when　they　discovered　any　symptoms　of　independence　and　inquiry　breaking　out　in　any　member　of　the　Council；　they　have　displaced　him　as　soon　as　they　decently　could。
  Of　the　arguments　employed　by　those　who　support　the　SYSTEM　OF　MANAGEMENT　by　which　the　Royal　Society　is　governed；　I　shall　give　a　few　samples：　　refutation　is　rendered　quite　unnecessaryjuxta…　position　is　alone　requisite。　　If　any　member；　seeing　an　improper　appointment　in　contemplation；　or　any　abuse　in　the　management　of　the　affairs　of　the　Society　continued；　raise　a　voice　against　it；　the　ready　answer　is；　Why　should　you　interfere？　　it　may　not　be　quite　the　thing　you　approve；　but　it　is　no　affair　of　yours。If；　on　the　other　hand；　it　do　relate　to　himself；　the　reply　is　equally　ready。　　It　is　immediately　urged：　　The　question　is　of　a　personal　nature；　you　are　the　last　person　who　ought　to　bring　it　forward；　you　are　yourself　interested。　　If　any　member　of　the　Society；　feeling　annoyed　at　the　neglect；　or　hurt　by　the　injuries　or　insults　of　the　Council；　show　signs　of　remonstrance；　it　is　immediately　suggested　to　him　that　he　is　irritated；　and　ought　to　wait　until　his　feelings　subside；　and　he　can　judge　more　coolly　on　the　subject；　whilst　with　becoming　candour　they　admit　the　ill…　treatment；　but　urge　forbearance。　　If；　after　an　interval；　when　reflection　has　had　ample　time　to　operate；　the　offence　seems　great　as　at　first；　or　the　insult　appears　unmitigated　by　any　circumstances　on　which　memory　can　dwell；if　it　is　then　brought　forward；　the　immediate　answer　is；　The　affair　is　out　of　datethe　thing　is　gone　byit　is　too　late　to　call　in　question　a　transaction　so　long　past。　Thus；　if　a　man　is　interested　personally；　he　is　unfit　to　question　an　abuse；　if　he　is　not；　is　it　probable　that　he　will　question　it？　　and　if；　notwithstanding　this；　he　do　so；　then　he　is　to　be　accounted　a　meddler。　　If　he　is　insulted；　and　complain；　he　is　told　to　wait　until　he　is　cool；　and　when　that　period　arrives；　he　is　then　told　he　is　too　late。　　If　his　remonstrance　relates　to　the　alteration　of　laws　which　are　never　referred　to；　or　only　known　by　their　repeated　breach；　he　is　told　that　any　alteration　is　useless；　it　is　perfectly　well　known　that　they　are　never　adhered　to。　　If　it　relate　to　the　impolicy　of　any　regulations　attaching　to　an　office；　he　is　immediately　answered；　that　that　is　a　personal　question；　in　which　it　is　impossible　to　interferethe　officer；　it　seems；　is　considered　to　have　not　merely　a　vested　right　to　the　continuance　of　every　abuse；　but　an　interest　in　transmitting　it　unimpaired　to　his　successors。
  In　the　same　spirit　I　have　heard　errors　of　calculation　or　observation　defended。　　If　small　errors　occur；　it　is　said　that　they　are　too　trifling　to　be　of　any　importance。　　If　larger　errors　are　pointed　out；　it　is　immediately　contended　that　they　can　deceive　nobody；　because　of　their　magnitude。　Perhaps　it　might　be　of　some　use；　if　the　Council　would　oblige　the　world　with　their　SCALE　of　ERROR；　with　illustrations　from　some　of　the　most　RECENT　and　APPROVED　works；　and　would　favour　the　uninformed　with　the　orthodox　creed　upon　all　grades；　from　that　which　baffles　the　human　faculties　to　detect；　up　to　that　which　becomes　innocuous　from　its　size。
  The　offices　connected　with　the　Royal　Society　are　few　in　number；　and　their　emolument　small　in　amount；　but　the　proper　disposition　of　them　is；　nevertheless；　of　great　importance　to　the　Society；　and　was　so　to　the　science　of　England。
  In　the　first　place；　the　President；　having　in　effect　the　absolute　nomination　of　the　whole　Council；　could　each　year　introduce　a　few　gentlemen；　whose　only　qualification　to　sit　on　it　would　be　the　high　opinion　they　must　necessarily　entertain　of　the　penetration　of　him　who　could　discover　their　scientific　merits。　　He　might　also　place　in　the　list　a　few　nobles　or　officials；　just　to　gild　it。　Neither　of　these　classes　would　put　any　troublesome　questions；　and　one　of　them　might　be　employed；　from　its　station　in　society；　to　check　any　that　might　be　proposed　by　others。
  With　these　ingredients；　added　to　the　regular　train　of　the　party；　and　a　star　or　two　of　science　to　shed　lustre　over　the　whole；　a　very　manageable　Council　might　be　formed；　and　such　has　been　its　frequent　composition。
  The　duties　of　the　Secretaries；　when　well　executed；　are　laborious；　although　not　in　this　respect　equal　to　those　of　the　same　officers　who；　in　several　societies；　give　their　gratuitous　aid；　and　their　labours　are　much　lightened　by　the　Assistant　Secretary　and　his　clerk。　　The　following　are　their　salaries：
  The　Senior　Secretary　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　105L。　The　Junior　Secretary；　105L。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　）　　　5L。　for　making　Indexto　Phil。　Trans。　。　。　）　110L。　The　Foreign　Secretary　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　　20L。
  Now　it　is　not　customary　to　change　these　annually；　and　as　these　offices　are　amongst　the　〃loaves　and　fishes〃　they　are　generally　given　by　the　President　to　some　staunch　supporters　of　the　system。　They　have　frequently　been　bestowed；　with　very　little　consideration　for　the　interest；　or　even　for　the　dignity　of　the　Society。　　To　notice　only　one　instance：　　the　late　Sir　Joseph　Banks　appointed　a　gentleman　who　remained　for　years　in　that　situation；　although　he　was　confessedly　ignorant　of　every　subject　connected　with　the　pursuits　of　the　Society。　　I　will；　however；　do　justice　to　his　memory；　by　saying　that　his　respectability　was　preserved　under　such　circumstances；　by　the　most　candid　admission　of　the　fact；　accompanied　by　a　store　of　other　knowledge　unfortunately　quite　foreign　to　the　pursuits　of　the　Society；　and　I　will　add；　that　I　regretted　to　see　him　insulted　by　one　President　in　a　situation　improperly　given　to　him　by　a　former。
  Next　in　order　come　the　Vice…Presidents；　who　are　appointed　by　the　President；　and　in　this　respect　the　present　practice　is　not　inconvenient。
  The　case；　however；　is　widely　different　with　the　office　of　Treasurer。　　The　President　ought　not　to　usurp　the　power　of　his　appointment；　which　ought；　after　serious　discussion　by　the　Council；　to　be　made　by　the　Society　at　large。
  Besides　the　three　Secretaries；　there　is　an　Assistant　Secretary；　and　recently　another　has　been　added；　who　may　perhaps　be　called　a；　Sub…assistant　Secretary。　　All　these　places　furnish　patronage　to　the　President。
  Let　us　now　look　at　the　occasional　patronage　of　the　President；　arising　from　offices　not　belon