| Description | Present; The President: Sir John Fortescue; Mr West; Mr Paul; Mr Gale; Mr Sloane; Dr Tessier; Mr Collinson; Dr Campbelo; Dr Mortimer; Mr Machin
' The Treasurer proposed that Every Member might have liberty upon his Election or afterwards to purchase out his Contributions at the Sum of Twenty Pounds over and above the Admission Fee, which being taken into consideration was agreed to, And Ordered to be Entered as a Standing Order.
The following Draught of an Advertisement to be put into the Gazette for the discovery of the Author of the Abusive reflections on the Societys proceedings publishd from Time to Time in the Daily Post, was Read and Agreed to.
Whereas many Paragraphs have been of late Inserted in the Daily Post, pretending to give an Account from Time to Time of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, at their usual Meetings in Crane Court, which are contrived by the Author without any View or regard to Truth, and merely for the sake of Spreading Defamation and Slander and whereas it is insinuated in the Daily Post of December 11th, 1731 That the intelligence concerning these Matters is received from a Member of the Royal Society. And inasmuch as P Nevill, the pretended printer of the Said Daily Post, is a Person, who upon Enquiry is not to be met with, that he may be brought to Answer to Such things as may be laid to his charge. In Order therefor to prevent the Continuance of these Abuses and Impositions opn the Publick, so far as it lies within the power of the Royal Society to prevent the Same; These are to give Notice , That whoever shall Discover any Member or Members of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge, to be the Author, or Authors of the pretended Accounts of the proceedings of the Royal Society printed in the Daily Posts of the 6th and of the 26th of March last, or of any Such false, Scandalous and defamatory Account of the Royal Societies proceedings published in the Said Paper; Such Person upon Making full proof thereof before the Council of the Royal Society, at any of their Meetings, at their House in Crane Court, Shall receive the reward of Forty Pounds from the Treasurer of the Royal Society : And Whoever Shall discover the real printer of any of the Said Papers, and make full proof thereof as aforesaid, Shall receive the Reward of Twenty Pounds,to be paid likewise by the Treasurer of the Said Society.
Ordered That this Draught be laid before the Society for their concurrence at the Next Weekly Meeting.
A bill form Dr Stack for Copying the Papers belonging to the Society Ending on December 21 st, 1731 amounting to the Sum of £8..9..6 was agreed to and Ordered to be paid. '
|