St. James's to witness Her Majesty's signature in our Charter-Book
as Patron of the Society. I availed myself of the occasion thus presented to me to address the Queen in your name, and to assure Her ^Majesty that vre felt bound by the olDligations of our Charter, as well as by the recollection of our foundation, to look up to the Sovereign of these realms as our Patron and protector : that we most gratefully acknowledged the assurances which Her Majesty had conveyed to us through Her minister the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of the continuance of the same support and favour as had been always accorded to us by the Sovereigns of this Kingdom, and likewise the signification of Her Majesty's in- tention of renewing the grant of the two 3Iedals which had been in- stituted by one and confirmed by another of Her Majesty's royal uncles and predecessors, accompanied by Her gracious permission to propose such modification and amendments in the statutes which had been provided for their distribution, as would tend most efiect- ually to promote the advancement of science, and would most certainly accomplish the liberal and patriotic views and intentions of their Royal Founders. I further ventured to advert to the close connection which exists between the caltivation of Science and the Arts, and the progress and developement of the great elements of the prosperity and happiness of nations, and to express my earnest hope and prayer that the triumphs of the arts of peace and commerce, which had so signally marked the beginning of Her Majesty's reign, might be continued without intermission to its distant conclusion.
The Queen having received the Address in the most gracious manner, was pleased to sign her august and royal name in our Charter-Book as Patron of the Royal Society : after which the officers and different members of the Council were presented by me to Her ^Majesty, and had the honour of kissing Her Majesty's hand.
The alterations in the laws for the distribution of the Royal Me- dals, which Her ^Majesty was graciously pleased to authorize and permit, have been made by a Committee of the Council appointed for that purpose, and have since received the especial sanction and approbation of Her Majesty. They are directed to be given hereafter to such papers, and to such papers only, as have been presented to the Society, or inserted in its Transactions, within three years of the date of the award ; and they are to be awarded to departments of science whose order of succession is defined by a cycle of three years, comprising in the first Astronomy and Physiology, in the second Physics and Geology^ and in the third Mathematics and Chemistry. And it is further added and commanded, that no departure from this order of succession shall be allowed, unless it shall appear that no memoir of sufficient merit to be en- titled to such an honour shall have been presented to the Society within the period afore-named ; in which case, and in which case only, it shall be competent for the Council, with the approbation of Her Majesty, to award the IMedal to one of those branches
