On the encouragement of a more general interest in scientific pursuits

The object of this short paper is to offer a suggestion for the consideration of this Society.
So far as the meetings of the Royal Society are intended for the interchange of notes upon new discoveries between savants and specialists only, the reading of such papers is a natural and proper course, though it may still be questionable whether those who merely hear a technical paper read gain as full a knowledge of its contents as they would by studying it at leisure in the Society's printed proceedings.
But while I would not depreciate the value of such papers, which are and must be the most important that can come before the Society, yet I would urge whether papers of another kind might not also be encouraged.
In so small a community as ours the savants can never be numerous, but there is, or with a little encouragement there might be, a considerable number among us who would eagerly and intelligently enter on scientific pursuits if facilities were offered: and surely the fostering of this general interest, and the creation of a wide-spread scientific taste throughout our community are well worthy of any attention and assistance this Society can give. In the long run they will yield results of practical value, and also materially add to the prosperity and influence of the Society itself.
Here our authorities are few, text-books hardly exist, and English works are in many cases unsuitable. We are at a great disadvantage in this respect, and are much more dependent upon the direct teaching of our scientists themselves, and for this reason I would ask this Society to consider whether means cannot be devised for affording instruction of a more elementary and general kind.