Anniversary Meeting, November 30, 1841

Gentlemen, I regret extremely that my absence from England will prevent my having the honour and pleasure of meeting you at the Anniversary of the Royal Society. The Council will therefore perform the duty, which would otherwise have fallen on me, of adverting to the con­tinued prosperity of our Society, to the losses which it has, however, undergone in the course of nature, and to the adjudication of our Medals. This duty I am sure that they will perform better than I could do, so that, in that point of view, you will be no losers ; the loss of a great pleasure in meeting so many scientific friends will fall on myself ; but I look forward to the spring, when I hope again to meet you, both in my own house and at our ordinary weekly Meetings. Meanwhile the Royal Society has, as it ever will have, my most earnest wishes for its prosperity and its success, in carrying forward the great object for which it was established—the increase of human knowledge in every department of physical science. The Vice-President in the Chair informed the Meeting that the Council had voted the following Address to Her Majesty the Queen :— “ To the Queen's most Excellent Majesty . “ The humble Address of the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge.