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SERIOUS ATTENTION。〃
Now when the party； to whose government some of these improvements would have been a death…warrant； found that the subject was likely to be taken up in the Council； they were in dismay： but the learned and grateful peer came to their assistance； and aided Mr。 Davies Gilbert in getting rid of these improvements completely。
It has been the fashion to maintain that all classes of the Royal Society should be represented in the Council； and consequently that a peer or two should find a place amongst them。 Those who are most adverse to this doctrine would perhaps be the most anxious to render this tribute to any one really employing his time； his talents； or his rank in advancing the cause of science。 But when a nobleman； unversed in our pursuits； will condescend to use the influence of his station in aiding a President to stifle； WITHOUT DISCUSSION； propositions recommended for consideration by some of the most highly gifted members of the Society；those who doubt the propriety of the principle may reasonably be pardoned for the disgust they must necessarily entertain for the practical abuse to which it leads。
Of the other three Commissioners； who received each a hundred a…year； although the nomination was； in point of form； in the Admiralty； yet it was well known that the President of the Royal Society did； in fact； always name them。 Of these I will only mention one fact。 The late Sir Joseph Banks assigned to me as a reason why I need not expect to be appointed； （as he had held out to me at a former period when I had spoken to him on the subject） that I had taken a prominent part in the formation of the ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY。 I am proud of the part I did take in establishing that Society； although an undue share of its honour was assigned to me by the President。
It may； perhaps； be inquired； why I publish this fact at this distance of time？ I answer； that I stated it publicly at the Council of the Astronomical Society；that I always talked of it publicly and openly at the time；that I purposely communicated it to each succeeding President of the Royal Society； and that； although some may have forgotten the communications I made at the time； there are others who remember them well。
The Secretary of the late Board of Longitude received 300L。； and 200L。 more； as Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac。
Another situation； in the patronage of which the President is known to have considerable influence； is that of Astronomer Royal； and it is to be observed； that he is kept in the Council as much as possible； notwithstanding the nature of his duties。
Of the three appointments of 100L。 a…year each； which have been instituted since the abolition of the Board of Longitude； the President is supposed to have the control； thus making him quite sure of the obedience of his Council。
Besides these sources of patronage； there are other incidental occasions on which Government apply to the Royal Society to recommend proper persons to make particular experiments or observations； and； although I am far from supposing that these are in many instances given to persons the second or third best qualified for them； yet they deserve to be mentioned。
SECTION 12。
OF THE PLAN FOR REFORMING THE SOCIETY。
The indiscriminate admission of every candidate became at last so notorious； even beyond the pale of the Society； that some of the members began to perceive the inconveniences to which it led。 This feeling； together with a conviction that other improvements were necessary to re…establish the Society in public opinion； induced several of the most active members to wish for some reform in its laws and proceedings； and a Committee was appointed to consider the subject。 It was perfectly understood； that the object of this Committee was to inquire；First； as to the means and propriety of limiting the numbers of this Society； and then； as to other changes which they might think beneficial。 The names of the gentlemen composing this Committee were：
Dr。 Wollaston； Mr。 Herschel； Dr。 Young； Mr。 Babbage； Mr。 Davies Gilbert； Captain Beaufort； Mr。 South； Captain Kater。
The importance of the various improvements suggested was different in the eyes of different members。 The idea of rendering the Society so select as to make it an object of ambition to men of science to be elected into it； was by no means new； as the following extract from the Minutes of the Council will prove：
〃MINUTES OF COUNCIL。 August 27； 1674 Present；
Sir W。 Petty； Vice…President； Sir John Lowther； Sir John Cutler； Sir Christopher Wren； Mr。 Oldenburgh； Sir Paul Neile。
〃It was considered by this Council； that to make the Society prosper； good experiments must be in the first place provided to make the weekly meetings considerable； and that the expenses for making these experiments must be secured by legal subscriptions for paying the contributors； which done； the Council might then with confidence proceed to the EJECTION OF USELESS FELLOWS。〃
The reformers of modern times were less energetic in the measures they recommended。 Dr。 Wollaston and some others thought the limitation of the numbers of the Society to be the most essential point； and 400 was suggested as a proper number to be recommended； in case a limitation should be ultimately resolved upon。 I confess； such a limit did not appear to me to bring great advantages； especially when I reflected how long a time must have elapsed before the 714 members of the Society could be reduced by death to that number。 And I also thought that as long as those who alone sustained the reputation of the Society by their writings and discoveries should be admitted into it on precisely the same terms； and on the payment of the same sum of money as other gentlemen who contributed only with their purse； it could never be an object of ambition to any man of science to be enrolled on its list。
With this view； and also to assist those who wished for a limitation； I suggested a plan extremely simple in its nature； and which would become effective immediately。 I proposed that； in the printed list of the Royal Society； a star should be placed against the name of each Fellow who had contributed two or more papers which had been printed in the Transactions； or that such a list should be printed separately at the end。
At that period there were 109 living members who had contributed papers to the Transactions； and they were thus arranged：
37 Contributors of 。 。 1 paper 21 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 2 papers 19 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 3 ditto 5 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 4 ditto 3 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 5 ditto 3 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 6 ditto ＇2 。 。 。 。 from 7 to 12 ditto 14 。 。 。 of more than 12 papers。
100 Contributing Fellows of the Royal Society。 589 Papers contributed by them。
Now the immediate effect of printing such a list would be the division of the Society into two classes。 Supposing two or more papers necessary for placing a Fellow in the first class； that class would only consist of seventy…two members； which is nearly the same as the number of those of the Institute of France。 If only those who had contributed three or more were admitted； then this class would be reduced to fifty…one。 In either of these cases it would obviously become a matter of ambition to belong to the first class； and a more minute investigation into the value of each paper would naturally take place before it was admitted into the Transactions。 Or it might be established that such papers only should be allowed to count； as the Committee； who reported them as fit to be printed； should also certify。 The great objection made to such an arrangement was； that it would be displeasing to the rest of the Society； and that they had a vested right （having entered the Society when no distinction was made in the lists） to have them always continued without one。
Without replying to this shadow of an argument of vested rights； I will only remark that he who maintains this view pays a very ill compliment to the remaining 600 members of the Royal Society； since he does； in truth； maintain that those gentlemen who； from their position； accidentally derive reputation which does not belong to them； are