manent connexion with it?

If we compare the proceedings, undoubtedly dignified and decorous, of
our Royal Society with those of the French Academy, we fear the
balance will be found to be in favour of the latter. At Somerset
House, after the list of donations and abstract of former proceedings,
a paper, or a portion of a paper, is read upon some abstruse
scientific subject, and the meeting is adjourned in solemn silence, no
observation can be made upon it, no question asked, or explanation
given. The public is excluded,[22] and the greater part of the members
generally exclude themselves, very few having resolution enough to
leave a comfortable dinner-table to bear the solemn formalities of
such an evening. The paper is next committed, it is not known to whom,
reported on in private, and either published, or deposited in the
_archives of the Society_, according to the judgment of the unknown
irresponsible parties to whom it is committed. Let us now look at the
proceedings of the French Academy; it is open to the public, and the
public take so great an interest in it, that to secure a seat an early
attendance is always requisite. Every scientific point of daily and
passing interest is brought before it--comments, such as occur at the
time, are made upon various points by the secretary, or any other
member who likes to make an observation--the more elaborate memoirs
are read by the authors themselves, and if any _quaere_ or suggestion
occurs to a member present, he has an opportunity of being answered.
The memoir is then committed to parties whose names are publicly
mentioned, who bring out their report in public, which report is read
in public, and may be answered by the author if he object to it.
Lastly, the whole proceedings are printed and published verbatim, and
circulated at the next weekly meeting, while, in the mean time, the
public press notices them freely. That, with all these advantages, the
French Academy is not free from faults, we are far from asserting;
that there is as much unseen man[oe]uvring and petty tyranny in this
as in most other institutions, is far from improbable;[23] but the
effect upon the public, and the zest and vitality which its
proceedings give to science, are undeniable, and it is also undeniable
that we have no scientific institution approaching to it in interest
or value.

[22] Each Fellow can, indeed, by express permission of
the Society, take with him two friends.

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