Another class of doubters as to the utility of the Royal Society's operations will be found in those who style themselves "par excellence" practical men.

Very little consideration should show these, howeverm how enormously they benefit by the progress of scientific discovery, how ungratefully they too often appropriate its results with scarcely an acknowledgement.

Let any one who denies this read a pamphlet lately circulated, setting forth the claims of the Reverend Mr. Clarke, of New South Wales, in connection with the opening up of the mineral riches of Australia, wherein is clearly shown how valuable was this gentleman's geological skill in directing the first miners aright; how little even of the poor guerdon of thanks he has reveives from those who rushed afterwards to profit by his lessons.

Or to cite a less familiar instance. Look at one of the greatest boons conferred on all in these Colonies—the shortening of the voyage between them and the Mother Country. Is this due, as might naturally be inferred, to the practical navigator? Was it effected by chance or rule of thumb? On the contrary, the credit belongs almost solely to Lieutenant Maury, of the United States Observatory at Washington, by means of whose Wind and Current Charts, in which the laborious records of innumerable voyages are compiled, the average passage to Australia was almost immediately reduced from 124 to 97 days. I might allude, if time allowed, to the Electric Telegraph, and more especially to the Submarine Cable, inventions which could never have extended their incalculable blessings to our very shores, had the Science of Electricity not been brought to its present advanced state by the labors and experiments of unremembered and unrewarded savans; but I proceed to a third class of objectors to the study of Natural Philosophy, more difficult to deal with still, because their objections are founded on a vague though conscientious apprehension that it leads to scepticism in matters of religious belief.

The scruple is not new. It once extended even to the study of the bible itself. Bacon found occasion to write—"Let no man, upon a weak conceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think to maintain that a man can search too far, or be too well studied in the Book of God's Words, or in the Book of God's Works; but rather let him endeavor at endless progress and proficience in both." Yet, though silenced two centuries ago, it has of late, in consequence of the unexpected revelations of modern science, partially revived, and, if not often openly urged, creates strong prejudice against the speculations of Geology, Astronomy, and other inductive pursuits, in the minds of many sincere Christians.

Royal Society of Victoria