Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 4.djvu/28

Rh of just and equal laws. I would gladly enlarge, if the time or the occasion would permit me to do so, upon these and many other virtues in the character of one who was so closely connected with me by the ties of relationship and of duty; but Iam quite sure that I should fail in the expression both of your sentiments and my own, if Idid not acknowledge, in becoming terms of respect and gratitude, the especial patronage and protection which he extended to the Royal Society, by the renewed grant of the two Annual Mew dals which had been instituted by his royal brother and predecessor, and by the enactment of such statutes for their distribution as appeared to him best calculated to stimulate the exertions of philosophers, and to assoeiate for ever the results of their labours with the publication of the Transactions of the Royal Society.

The Council availed themselves of the earliest opportunity which the resumption of their meetings allowed, to present, in the name of the Fellows of the Royal Society, the homage of their loyalty and devotion to the person and throne of the illustrious Princess who now wiclds the secptre of this great empire; and they ventured at the same time to express a hope that Her Majesty would be gracionsly pleased, in conformity with the practice of her predecessors, to sign her royal name in our Register as Patroness of our Society, and that she would likewise continue to us the annual grant of the two Medals which had been made by King George the Fourth and King William the Fourth.

This Address has been presented to Her Majesty, who has been graciously pleased to signify to me, through the Secretaer of State, that she is most sensible of the loyalty and attachment expressed in it, and that she cordially joins in the wish of the Royal Society that her reign may be distinguished by the triumphs of the arts of peace and by the general diffusion and advancement of religion and knowledge amongst all classes of her subjects. Her Majesty was further graciously pleased to intimate that she would have great satisfaction in becoming the Patroness of the Royal Society, and that she would annually place at their disposal two Gold Medals, and would continue to extend to them the same protection and patronage which they had received from her royal predecessors.

I feel proud, Gentlemen, in being able to communicate to you these gracious assurances of support and protection from our Patroness and Queen, which are well calculated to conﬁrm, though they cannot increase, the loyal and devoted attachment which we feel to her person; and I trust that I shall be able, at no distant period, to announce to you that Her Majesty has signed her royal name in our Register as Patroness of the Royal Society.

I now proceed to notice some of the more important events connected with the administration of the Royal Society during the last year.

One of the Royal Medals has been adjudged to lVIr. ‘Whewell for his very valuable series of researches on the tides, which have been published in our Transactions, chieﬂy during the last three years. I must refer you, Gentlemen, for a statement of the grounds upon