The second object of the institution is, the teaching the application of science to the useful purposes of life : for this branch a lecture room was to he provided, which might serve at the same time for philoso phical experiments, with a complete la boratory and philosophical apparatus; the room he wished to contain convenient places for the subscribers, which he re commends should be well warmed and perfectly ventilated; the lecturers to be chosen by the managers, with the utmost circumspection ; that none but men of eminence, in their respective pursuits, should officiate in that most important and most distinguished situation ; and, he adds, " no subjects will ever be permit ted to be discussed at these lectures but such as are strictly scientifical, and imme diately connected with that particular branch of science publicly announced as the subject of the lecture." Persons, by his plan, are to be permitted to attend the lectures on being recommended by a subscriber, and paying a small sum. The subject of the lectures he proposed should be, on the application of heat to the various purposes of life ; the combus tion of inflammable bodies, and the rela tive quantities of heat producible by the different substances used as fuel; the management of fire, and the economy of fuel; the principles of the warmth of clothing; the effects of heat and cold, and of winds of each description, on the hu man body, in health and illness ; the ef fects of vitiated air; the means of render ing dwelling-houses healthy and comfort able ; the procuring and preserving of ice, and construction of ice-houses; pre serving food in different seasons and cli mates; cooling fluids without the assist ance of ice ; on vegetation, and of the specific nature of those that are produ ced by manures ; of composing the lat ter, and adapting it to particular soils; the nature of those changes that are produ ced on substances used as food, and of that which takes place in its digestion ; the chemical principles of tanning hides, and their improvement ; the chemical principles of the art of making soap ; of the art of bleaching, dyeing, and, in gene ral, of all the mechanical arts, as they ap ply to the various branches of manufac ture.
At the first meeting of the managers, held at the house of Sir Joseph Banks, March 9, 1799, when that gentleman presided, it was proposed and resolved, "that the proposals for forming the insti tution, as published by Count Rumford, be approved and adopted by the mana gers ; subject, however, to such partial modifications, as shall be by them found to be necessary or useful." A Committee of Managers, chosen by ballot from the proprietors, direct and govern all the concerns of the institution; the three first of whom serve three years, the second two years, and the third one year; the whole nine being eligible for re-election ; as no emolument whatever accrues to the managers, they are con sidered as having pledged their honour to preserve the establishment inviolate ; they are required to insure the effects under their care from fire; to keep an exact account of all the property, of the receipts and expenditure, and minutes of all their proceedings; besides preserving the utmost order, and exercising the strictest economy in all their pecuniary acts ; and they are forbidden to give pre miums, or rewards, to those who invent any things useful, the design of the insti tution being exclusively for improvement and diffusion of A Committee of Visitors, selected from the proprietors, totally distinct from the managers, are appointed to inspect the proceedings of the latter. Such is the Royal Institution ; from which we shall now turn our attention to the