[Richard Owen, palaeontologist who coined the term ?Dinosaur?] UNSIGNED Draft Autograph Letter to your Lordship (prob. Lord John Russell (see note below; a covering letter), apparently about a controversial YMCA lecture.

About his Lecture On Some Instances of the Power of God manifested in his Animal Creation which was perhaps a side-swipe at Darwin?. Two pages, 12mo, some staining and edged with sellotape, but text is a scrawl and occasionally hard to interpret, including the loss of a couple of words under a stain. Full text as follows: By the post I forward to your Lordship a Copy of the Lecture [and scratched out] as printed by the Committee of the Y.M. Xian Assoc.][Young Man's Christian Association -SEE NOTE BELOW] , and the [Copy?] which was placed in my hands to show what was subsequently objected to, by one at least of the Committee through whose influence it was determined to omit the Lecture in the usual annual Volume. | I could wish, if your Lordship has not read the Lecture, that you would favor me with an unbiased perusal of it - though after newspaper comments that can hardly be hoped for - before you look over the proposed expurgations: and, in reference to p.34, to understand me as addressing a body of fellows [word or two covered by stain arrived?] at Man's estate, and of almost every [??] of the Reformed Church. The imperative condition of attaining to any [?] view of truth, expressed by our R.S. [Royal Society] motto 'nullius in verba', perhaps unduly preoccupied the Naturalist's mind in his appeal to them. | Please to return me the [scored? purged deleted] and altered [&?] Copy, confidentially submitted to your examination [and return me]. Note: Owen delivered a Lecture entitled On Some Instances of the Power of God manifested in his Animal Creation to the YMCA at Exeter Hall (published in 1864), hence Owen's reference to p.34. Notes: a. There is a footnote referring to Lord John's The obstacles which have retarded moral and political progress : a lecture (pub.1856);b. See Owen's entry in the Oxford DNB. See Image.