decline of science in england-第15章

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y；　or　from　other　grounds；　doubted　the　policy　of　establishing　medals；　saw　much　to　admire　in　the　tone　and　spirit　in　which　they　were　offered。

The　Council　immediately　came　to　the　resolution　of　gratefully　accepting　them：　　and　it　appears　that　the　President　communicated　that　resolution；　on　the　26th；　to　Mr。　Peel；　in　a　letter；　which　is　found　on　the　minutes　of　the　Council…book　of　the　26th　of　January。

At　the　same　Council；　the　rules　for　the　award　of　the　Royal　medals　were　decided　upon；　they　were　as　follow：

26th　January；　1826。

RESOLVED；

That　it　is　the　opinion　of　the　Council；　that　the　medals　be　awarded　for　the　most　important　discoveries　or　series　of　investigations；　completed　and　made　known　to　the　Royal　Society　in　the　year　preceding　the　day　of　their　award。

That　it　is　the　opinion　of　the　Council；　that　the　presentation　of　the　medals　should　not　be　limited　to　British　subjects。　　And　they　propose；　if　it　should　be　His　Majesty's　pleasure；　that　his　effigy　should　form　the　obverse　of　the　medal。

That　two　medals　from　the　same　die　should　be　struck　upon　each　foundation；　one　in　gold；　one　in　silver。

If　these　rules　are　not　the　wisest　which　might　have　been　formed；　yet　they　are　tolerably　explicit；　and　it　might　have　been　imagined　that　even　a　councillor　of　the　Royal　Society；　prepared　for　office　by　the　education　of　a　pleader；　could　not　have　mystified　his　brethren　so　completely；　as　to　have　made　them　doubt　on　the　point　of　time。　　The　rules　fixed　precisely；　that　the　discoveries　or　experiments　rewarded；　must　be　completed　and　made　known　to　the　Royal　Society；　within　the　YEAR　PRECEDING　THE　DAY　of　the　award。

Perhaps　it　might　have　been　a　proper　mark　of　respect　to　this　communication；　to　have　convened　a　special　general　meeting　of　the　Society；　to　have　made　known　to　the　whole　body　the　munificent　endowment　of　their　Patron：　　and　when　his　approbation　of　the　laws　which　were　to　govern　the　distribution　of　these　medals　had　been　intimated　to　the　Council；　such　a　course　would　have　been　in　complete　accordance　with　the　wish　expressed　in　Mr。　Peel's　letter；　〃TO　EXCITE　COMPETITION　AMONGST　MEN　OF　SCIENCE〃　by　making　them　generally　known。

Let　us　now　examine　the　first　award　of　these　medals：　　it　is　recorded　in　the　following　words：

November　16；　1826。

ONE　of　the　medals　of　His　Majesty's　donation　for　the　present　year　was　awarded　to　John　Dalton；　Esq。　President　of　the　Philosophical　and　Literary　Society；　Manchester；　for　his　development　of　the　Atomic　Theory；　and　his　other　important　labours　and　discoveries　in　physical　science。

The　other　medal　for　the　present　year　was　awarded　to　James　Ivory；　Esq。　for　his　paper　on　Astronomical　Refractions；　published　in　the　Philosophical　Transactions　for　the　year　1823；　and　his　other　valuable　papers　on　mathematical　subjects。

The　Copley　medal　was　awarded　to　James　South；　Esq。　for　his　observations　of　double　stars；　and　his　paper　on　the　discordances　between　the　sun's　observed　and　computed　right　ascensions；　published　in　the　Transactions。

It　is　difficult　to　believe　that　the　same　Council；　which；　in　January；　formed　the　laws　for　the　distribution　of　these　medals；　should　meet　together　in　November；　and　in　direct　violation　of　these　laws；　award　them　to　two　philosophers；　one　of　whom　had　made；　and　fully　established；　his　great　discovery　almost　twenty　years　before；　and　the　other　of　whom　（to　stultify　themselves　still　more　effectually）　they　expressly　rewarded　for　a　paper　made　known　to　them　three　years　before。

Were　the　rules　for　the　award　of　these　medals　read　previous　to　their　decision？　　Or　were　the　obedient　Council　only　used　to　register　the　edict　of　their　President？　　Or　were　they　mocked；　as　they　have　been　in　other　instances；　with　the　semblance　of　a　free　discussion？

Has　it　never　occurred　to　gentlemen　who　have　been　thus　situated；　that　although　they　have　in　truth　had　no　part　in　the　decision；　yet　the　Society　and　the　public　will　justly　attribute　a　portion　of　the　merit　or　demerit　of　their　award；　to　those　to　whom　that　trust　was　confided？

Did　no　one　member　of　the　Council　venture；　with　the　most　submissive　deference；　to　suggest　to　the　President；　that　the　public　eye　would　watch　with　interest　this　first　decision　on　the　Royal　medals；　and　that　it　might　perhaps　be　more　discreet　to　adjudge　them；　for　the　first　time；　in　accordance　with　the　laws　which　had　been　made　for　their　distribution？　　Or　was　public　opinion　then　held　in　supreme　contempt？　　Was　it　scouted；　as　I　have　myself　heard　it　scouted；　in　the　councils　of　the　Royal　Society？

Or　was　the　President　exempt；　on　this　occasion；　from　the　responsibility　of　dictating　an　award　in　direct　violation　of　the　faith　which　had　been　pledged　to　the　Society　and　to　the　public？　and；　did　the　Council；　intent　on　exercising　a　power　so　rarely　committed　to　them；　and；　perhaps；　urged　by　the　near　approach　of　their　hour　of　dinner；　dispense　with　the　formality　of　reading　the　laws　on　which　they　were　about　to　act？

Whatever　may　have　been　the　cause；　the　result　was　most　calamitous　to　the　Society。　　Its　decision　was　attacked　on　other　grounds；　for；　with　a　strange　neglect；　the　Council　had　taken　no　pains　to　make　known；　either　to　the　Society；　or　to　the　public；　the　rules　they　had　made　for　the　adjudication　of　these　medals。

The　evils　resulting　from　this　decision　were　many。　　In　the　first　place；　it　was　most　indecorous　and　ungrateful　to　treat　with　such　neglect　the　rules　which　had　been　approved　by　our　Royal　Patron。　In　the　next　place；　the　medals　themselves　became　almost　worthless　from　this　original　taint：　　and　they　ceased　to　excite　〃competition　amongst　men　of　science；〃　because　no　man　could　feel　the　least　security　that　he　should　get　them；　even　though　his　discoveries　should　fulfil　all　the　conditions　on　which　they　were　offered；

The　great　injury　which　accrued　to　science　from　this　proceeding；　induced　me；　in　the　succeeding　session；　when　I　found　myself　on　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　to　endeavour　to　remove　the　stigma　which　rested　on　our　character。　Whether　I　took　the　best　means　to　remedy　the　evil　is　now　a　matter　of　comparatively　little　consequence：　　had　I　found　any　serious　disposition　to　set　it　right；　I　should　readily　have　aided　in　any　plans　for　doing　that　which　I　felt　myself　bound　to　attempt；　even　though　I　should　stand　alone；　as　I　had　the　misfortune　of　doing　on　that　occasion。　　＇It　is　but　justice　to　Mr。　South；　who　was　a　member　of　that　Council；　to　state；　that　the　circumstance　of　his　having　had　the　Copley　medal　of　the　same　year　awarded　to　him；　prevented　him　from　taking　any　part　in　the　discussion。＇

The　impression　which　the　whole　of　that　discussion　made　on　my　mind　will　never　be　effaced。　Regarding　the　original　rules　formed　for　the　distribution　of　the　Royal　medals；　when　approved　by　his　Majesty；　as　equally　binding　in　honour　and　in　justice；　I　viewed　the　decision　of　the　Council；　which　assigned　those　medals　to　Mr。　Dalton　and　Mr。　Ivory；　as　void；　IPSO　FACTO；　on　the　ground　that　it　was　directly　at　variance　with　that　part　which　CONFINES　the　medals　to　discoveries　made　known　to　the　Society　within　ONE　YEAR　PREVIOUS　TO　THE　DAY　OF　THEIR　AWARD。　　I　therefore　moved　the　following　resolutions：

〃1st；　That　the　award　of　the　Royal　medals；　made　on　the　16th　of　November；　1826；　being　contrary　to　the　conditions　under　which　they　were　offered；　is　invalid。

〃2dly；　That　the　sum　of　fifty　guineas　each　be　presented　to　J。　Dalton；　Esq。　and　James　Ivory；　Esq。　from　the　funds　of　the　Society；　and　that　letters　be　written　to　each　of　those　gentlemen；　expressing　the　hope　of　the　Council　that　this；　the　only　method　which　is　open　to　them　of　honourably　fulfilling　their　pledges；　will　be　received　by　those　gentlemen　as　a　mark　of　the　high　sense　entertained　by　the　Council　of　the　importance　and　value　of　their　discoveries；　which　require　not　the　aid　of　medals　to　convey　their　reputation　to　posterity；　as　amongst　the　greatest　which　distinguished　the　age　in　which　they　lived。〃

It　may　be　curious　to　give　the　public　a　specimen　of　the　reasoning　employed　in　so　select　a　body　of　philosophers　as　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society。　　It　was　contended；　on　the　one　hand；　that　although　the　award　was　SOMEWHAT　IRREGULAR；　yet　nothing　was　more　easy　than　to　set　it　right。　　As　the　original　rules　for　giving　the　medals　were　merely　an　order　of　the　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　Soc