under the guidance of sound principles, and make our accumulations more like the collections of the mineralogist and the geologist, putting together the various fragments he collects, but putting them together in order-collected with a view to an ultimate purpose. It is impossible to separate these things altogether, even in a Society which professes only to accumulate facts, and which embodies in its motto that these facts are to be used by others—aliis exterendum. But I am sure that these considerations must impress on the Society most strongly the importance of the observations which our President has addressed to us; and I trust that those observations, duly borne in mind by this Society during its coming labours, will tend to render its exertions. more interesting to the Members at the time, and more profitable to the community in their ultimate effects. If they tend, in the slightest degree, to accomplish that result, the labours of the noble lord, in presiding over this Society for two years, will be eclipsed by the services which he has rendered to the country by the observations he has now made. It is under these circumstances that I have now to propose that we make our acknowledgments to the noble lord for his past services, and for his services on this day, by tendering to him the thanks of the Society. [Applause.]

SIR CHARLES LEMON.-I beg leave to rise to second the motion, and after the observations of Lord Overstone, I feel that I have very little or nothing to add to what he has said, as a claim on the acknowledgments of all the company present, or in the way of observation to Lord Harrowby. Your lordship has very plainly pointed out what has been the course of our proceeding in past time, and, I think, has given us some hints which we shall find it of the utmost importance to apply in future. You have, in fact, shown the most complete and entire appreciation of the nature and objects of the Society and also of its effects, and I confess that you have extended the field of those effects rather further than I was prepared before to acknowledge, not only on the literature and knowledge of this country, but that its effects have also been extended to all parts of Europe. Lord Overstone just now drew our attention back to what occurred at the commencement of the Society. I was one of the earlier Members, and I do certainly recollect, and with some little pride I acknowledge it at the present moment, that the fears which existed in the minds of many have not been realized. There were apprehensions that politics would creep in among us, that we should be engaged in speculations not simply theoretical and philosophical, such as have prevailed here, but that we should ramble into other fields and excite undue warmth. That was particularly the feeling with Mr. Hallam; but without reducing our Institution to that dry material which a simple collection of facts would present, indulging even to a certain extent in theory, and allowing ourselves to draw conclusions from the facts brought before us, I think that in no one instance have we by any means incurred that which would justify the fears which unquestionably were entertained in the minds of those who first instituted the Society; and in considering the qualities which have preserved us in that equilibrium, I know no person so distinguished by them as the noble lord whom we now have as our President. I will not say another word, but simply second the motion which has been made to offer our best thanks to Lord Harrowby.

COLONEL SYKES.-I beg to be allowed to add my mite of acknowledgment to your lordship for the address we have had on this occasion, and for the example which you have set; an example which I hope to see followed in future times, because not only is it advantageous to the interests of the Society, but it is also instructive to the Members, and I beg leave to congratulate your lordship on commencing a new era, and to thank you in the name of the Society. The justice of the observations you have made has been felt by most of our Members, that figures are not necessarily statistics, that their value depends upon the manner in which they are got together, and that it is quite necessary, for the deduction of a legitimate argument from them, that all the relations of their origin should be known. The French have a happy adage

"Avec des chiffres on peut faire tout ce qu'on veut.”

There is no doubt that such is the case, and we have constant proofs of it exhibited in the House of Commons and elsewhere. But such a perversion of statistics could not possibly take place if the parties who use those facts would use them honestly and with the intentions with which they were originally collected; and if the opposite parties were only sufficiently masters of the manner in which those figures misused were put together, they could turn their opponents' deductions to their discomfiture. I do think that, so far as this Society has gone, our honesty of purpose has enabled us to avoid dangers. Sir Charles Lemon has said, the fear was, that this Society might break down upon politics and religion. I am happy to say that we have never had in this Society, or in the British Association, discussions which could endanger the stability of the Institution or the good feeling between the Members on either one subject or the other, and I feel quite assured that the good sense of the Society will always keep us free from any such risks. With regard to the collection of facts, I am sure that Lord Harrowby did not mean to discourage individual

exertion.

LORD HARROWBY.-Hear! hear!

COLONEL SYKES.-We have had proofs in this Society of what can be done by individual exertion. We have had committees on the state of education and on other subjects. The information on all these subjects was given voluntarily, but the parties engaged in collecting it took good care, as far as was within their power, to ascertain that what they recorded as facts literally were facts, with the attendant circumstances; and therefore, although voluntary information is probably not so satisfactory as information given with a penalty attached to it if it be untrue, still we must not lose sight of one of our sources of information, and one of the aids on which the Society must rely, namely, obtaining voluntary information. We cannot always obtain it under a penalty, but we must then endeavour to do it as we can, and quantum valeat, we must put our own value on the information so obtained.

The motion having been put to the meeting by Lord Overstone, was carried with acclamation.

THE EARL OF HARROWBY.--I must trouble you for a moment, Gentlemen, merely to thank you for the very kind manner in which you have received the very inadequate observations which I have

offered; but I can hardly do so without observing, with regard to what fell from Colonel Sykes, that I by no means wish to discourage information of any kind. My great caution is to avoid instituting inquiries in such a way as to make us think that we get complete, when we only get partial, information. If we know and admit that our information is imperfect, and argue with that feeling of modesty which arises from a sense of its imperfection, the information is most valuable as far as it goes; but if we profess to get all, and think we get all, when we only get partial information, then I think we are very seriously misled.

Before I sit down, as I am afraid I shall be called away in a few minutes to a distant part of the country, perhaps you will allow me to call your attention to one very important deficiency in our Institution at the present moment, which is the present state of the library. When we look round the walls of these two rooms, we certainly do not see them furnished as we should wish; and if we have the opportunity of showing to distinguished foreigners in this year some little hospitality, such as becomes the Members of different nations pursuing common objects, I think we should be rather glad to show the shelves somewhat better furnished. I cannot help suggesting that it might be the subject of the early consideration of the Library Committee, or of some other body that might be constituted for the purpose, whether means could not be taken very early for the extension of our provision in this respect-whether, for instance, if gentlemen were to consider together, according to their respective branches of special knowledge, and to say our desiderata are such and such, and the list of desiderata were put in circulation, we might not, by private contributions, either from libraries or in a pecuniary manner, each one giving a book or the means of purchasing one, make an effort this year to furnish our library in a manner more appropriate to our position; and I believe it would extend the usefulness, as well as the appearance and dignity, of the Institution. This place would be more sought after if parties who were pursuing any subject felt pretty good security that, as to anything concerning statistical inquiry-and that is a pretty wide field, for

Quicquid agunt homines, nostri farrago libelli,”

they would be sure, on the shelves of our rooms, to find something that would assist them. I would therefore leave the matter to my noble friend as a legacy, whether he and the Council around him could not suggest some means by which we may make this a jubilee year for our library, and which will fit us to assume the position as a centre of statistical information which devolves upon us. I beg to thank you for your kindness in the motion which has been carried. [Applause.]

MR. PORTER.-I have been requested, on the part of the Council, to bring forward a little matter of business which I believe can only be properly performed at a meeting of this kind. We are tenants here of the London Library, and most of us are aware that there is an Act of Parliament which exonerates from the payment of certain taxes bodies brought together for scientific purposes, and where profit is not a matter thought of in what they undertake; but in order to bring

them within that rule, it is necessary that they should have a rule within themselves to this effect, that no dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money, should be made by the Society unto or between any of the Members. There is no gentleman here who imagines that he is going to get a dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money, from the stock or possessions of the Statistical Society, and therefore I do not think you are doing much against your interest in agreeing to this resolution. Be that as it may, it is my duty to propose to you, that, as an addition to the regulations of this Society, no dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money, shall be made by the Society unto or between any of the Members.

MR. HEYWOOD.-I second that.

The motion was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. Mr. Dixon and Dr. Finch having been appointed Scrutineers for the election of the Council and officers for the ensuing year, a ballot was taken, and the votes were declared to be unanimously in favour of the names on the printed lists.

The Earl of Harrowby then quitted the chair, and was succeeded by Lord Overstone.