To reconcile God's Works with God's Words may, it is possible, for ever transcend the faculties of mere humanity, but the believer may surely rest satisfied that what our present finite capacities cannot fathom, will one day be made clear, to all who have sought aright, in the mansions of eternity.

Convinced, in the words of the laureate, "that God and Nature are not then at strife," let all echo the noble strain into which lie bursts forth,—

"Who loves not knowledge? Who shall rail
Against her beauty? May she mix
With men and prosper! Who shall fix
Her pillars? Let her work prvail!"

But I must descend to less grand and exalted themes. To elevate the position of our Society to the extent I have indicated; to render it at the same time the depository of the opinions of the learned few, and the mouthpiece of the scientific wants of the unlearned many, are tasks for gradual accomplishment. I have to allude to-night to one or two matters which I should like to see occupy your special attention during my presidential term.

The first is the consideration of a scheme which has recently been proposed to the Government at home by my enlightened compeer Sir William Denison, for the publication of the Natural History, using the term in its widest significance, of the British possessions throughout the world, at the joint expense of the Mother Country and the Colonies, the latter contributing the descriptive materials and scientific data, the former being at the expense of engraving the illustrations and editing the work.

A more comprehensive or imperial design cannot easily be imagined, and I am happy to state it has received the cordial approval of the Royal Society of Great Britain, to whom it was referred for report by the late Secretary of State for the Colonial Department. Should it be determined to carry it into execution, the co-operation of this Society will no doubt be invoked, and from the able manner in which some of its members have recently reported, at the instance of the Royal Society of Arts, on the productions of the Colony, I feel confident I may reckon on its aid to accelerate the scientific portion of the undertaking.

In the meanwhile, it is worthy of being considered whether, in any event, certain principles of uniformity might not be introduced into all official publications in this and the adjacent colonies, as has, I know, been attempted by the Registrar-General in regard to their statistics. A great deal of unnecessary trouble and expense, as well as of needless repetition, might thus be spared in the production of any great National Work hereafter.

There is a second subject of scientific interest which will I hope occupy a good deal of your attention during the ensuing twelvemonth—namely, the superintendence of preparations for the exploration of the interior.

Royal Society of Victoria