| Description | Present at the meeting: The President; Mr Balle; Mr Blackwell; Dr Arbuthnot; Dr mead; Dr Harwood; Dr Plumptre; Mr Pitfield; Mr Isted; Dr Sloane
' Dr Harwood was sworn of the Council.
Count Charles Geullenberg and Mr Samuel Hill were proposed to be Members of the Society, and were Ballotted for and approved of by the Councill.
Dr Arbuthnot delivered the Queens Letter, impowering the President, and in his absence the Vice president, and such of the Council as should be ppointed by the Council, to be joyned with him, to be Visitors and Directors of the Observatory in Greenwich Park. As Followeth:
To Our Trusty and Wel-beloved The President of Our Royal Society for the time being.
Anne R.
Trusty and Welbeloved We Greet You well. Whereas We have been given to Understand, that it would contribute very much to the Improvement of Astronomy and Navigation if We should appoint constant Visitors of Our Royal Observatory at Greenwich, with sufficient Powers for the due Execution of that Trust : We have therefore thought fit in Consideration of the great Learning, Experience and other necessary Qualifications of Our Royal Society, to constitute and appoint, as We do by these presents constitute and appoint You the President, and, in Your Absence, the Vice president of Our said Royal Society for the time being, together with such others as the Councill of Our said Royal Society shall think fit to joyn with you, to be constant Visitors of Our said Royal Observatory at Greenwich, authorising and requiring You to demand of Our Astronomer and Keeper of Our said Observatory, for the time being, to deliver to you within six months after every Year shall be elapsed, a true and fair Copy of the Annual Observtions he shall have made. And our further Will and Pleasure is, that You do likewise from time to time Order and Direct, Our said Astronomer and Keeper of Our said Royal Observatory, to make such Astronomical Observations as You in Your Judgement shall think proper; and that You do survey and Inspect our Instruments in Our said Observatory, and as often as You shall find any of them defective, that You do inform the Principal Officers of Our Ordnance thereof, that so the said Instruments may be either Exchanged or Repaired. And for so doiong this shall be Your Warrant. And so We bid you Farewell. Given at our Court at St James the Twelfth Day of December 1710. In the Ninth Year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesties Command
H. St. John
The President, Dr Sloane, Dr Halley and Dr Arbuthnot were desired to acquaint the Secretary with how much Thankfulmess the Society received this Letter from Her Majesty, and to know his pleasure when the President shall return him Thanks, and when it may be proper for the Members of the Society to wait upon him with their Thanks and Assurances of their performing their Trust. This was Ballotted for and approved of.
An Order was signed by the President for Mr Brigstock to receive thirty Guineas, according to a former Order.
The President, Mr Roberts, Dr Arbuthnot, Dr Halley, Dr Mead, Mr Hill, Sir Christopher Wren, Mr wren, and Dr Sloane were Ordered a Committee to go to Greenwich, any three of them (of which the Presidnet or Vice President to be one) to be of the Quorum, and to report thier opinion of the Condition of the Observatory and the Instruments therein, and to take an Inventory of the Instruments. This was Ballotted for, and agreed to.
The Treasurer was ordered to pay the Fees of the Queens Letter. This was Ballotted for and agreed to.
Mr Hunt was ordered to give Mr Tooke Notice that the Society shall have no further occasion for his Room at Gresham College, but that they will pay him half a years Rent due at Midsummer next.
The President acquainted the Councill that he would give towards the Easing of the Debtr of the Society for the House, besides the twenty pounds he had reserved, One Hundred Pounds.
He also acquainted the Council that the Lord Halifax would give one Hundred or Fifty pounds, as the Society should think fit. The President was desired to thank him and to leave the Summe to his Lordships pleasure.
Dr Sloane said he would give One Hundred Pounds for the same purpose.
The Treasurer Mr Pitfield promised for the same purpose one Hundred Pounds. ' |