| Description | Present at a Council: The President; Lord Charles Cavendish; Mr West; Mr Jones; Mr Eames; Mr Hodgson; Dr Mortimer; Mr Machin
' Upon account that the time allowed by the Council for such Members of the Society as were so disposed to take up their Bonds upon several Conditions directed by former Councils was now expired; it was agreed to by Ballot, and
Ordered that for the time to come no Members be allowed to make any composition for Arrears already due to the Society ; but that such whole Arrears shall be paid by every Member so indebted. And that all such person as shall before their Admission pay to the Treasurer of the Society, over and above their Admission Fees, the Sum of twenty one pounds to the Use of the Society, shall have a Right to be admitted without giving Bond, and be exempted from all future Payments or Contributions to the same. And that all such persons as, being already admitted, shall, over and above their several Arrears due tro the Society, pay to the Treasurer the like Sum of twenty one pounds, shall have the same Privilege of being exempted from future Payments, and have their Bonds repectively given up to them to be cancelled.
Ordered, that a Copy of this Order be hung up in the meeting Room of the Society.
The Treasurer laed before the Council the State of his Cash Accompt, and observed that as the Sum he had now in his hands might, in all probability, be above five hundred pounds more thatn woudl be necessary to defray the current Services of the year : he therefor thought it might not be improper to consider how to employ the overplus to the best advantage of the Society.
Whereupon it was resolved and Ordered, that five hundred pounds shall be laid out in the purchase of East India Bonds.
And ordered that Mr Treasurer be desired to take hold of the first most advantageous opportunity in his discretion to make a Purchase of the said Bonds for the Use and Benefit of the Society.
It being represented that, the Society's house stood greatly in need of being new white washed and Painted.
It was resolved and Ordered, that the house shall be thoroughly new white-washed in the Cielings and Walls; and that all the out-side of the house, as also the Meeting Room and Antichamber to the Meeting Room, shall be thoroughly new painted. And it was Ordered that the Treasurer be desired to take upon him the Commission to see that this Order be put in execution during the ensuing Vacation of the Society's Meetings.
Mr Jones said, that among Doctor Halley's Papers he met with a Book he had borrowed out of the Society's Library, being the first Edition of Galileo's Nuncius Sidereus : and which accordingly delivered to him by the Executors, he now brought it with a new Cover, the better to preserve it.
Mr Jones had thanks for his Care, and the Book was ordered to be put up in the Library.
The President informed the Council, that whereas Mr Graham had been desired to procure two Setts of the English Standard Weights and Measures of length, one for a Present to the Royal Acadey of Sciences in return for their's, and the other to be kept by the Society: he had accordingly caused the same to be made with as great exactness as possible, and had sent the one to Paris, and now delivered in the other to the Society, as also the Bills paid by him
For two Setts of very exact Grains, two Setts of Pennyweights, two sixteen ounce Piles Troy weight; two solid pounds Toy, two solid Pounds Averdupoiz; each Sett fitted in Shagreesn Cases : in all .......£10
Two Brass Rods 42 inches long, half an inch wide, and a quarter of an inch thick, with the division of the English and French Foot marked theron, in Mahogony Cases
Two Brass Rules six inches long, and three inches wide, with a Diagonal the whole length and bredth, likewise in Mahogany Cases .....£5.3.0 for both
In all ...£15.2.0
Which Weights and Measures being shewn to the Council, Thanks were ordered to Mr Gresham for the great Care he appeared to have taken therein.
This Bill with other Bills were put to the Ballot, and ordered now to be paid : viz
Mr Graham's Bill .....£15.3.0
Dr Stack's Bill .....£6.18.0
Mr Elliot the Bookbinder's Bill .....£6.9.6
Mr Hauksbee's Bill, and 1/2 year's Salary, £40.12.10
A Paper of Mr Graham's containing a comparison of the English and French Weights and Measures of the English and French Weights and Measures of length was shown : wherein it appeared that the French pound Weights contained 7560 Troy Grains ; and that the English pound Avoirdupoiz was 7004 of the same Grains, whereof 5760 make one pound Troy.
And by a nice measurement it appeared, that the French Yard contained 38.355 inches of the English Foot.
It being represented, that the Books of the Society now lying in the hands of Mr Davis and Mr Woodward may not perhaps be in the best way of promoting their Sale to the best advantage to the Society. : It was Ordered, that the said Booksellers be required to render an account to the Society of what Books they have already sold, and to return back the rest that remain in their hands.
It being repressented by Doctor Mortimer that it might be of Service to promote correspondencies, to send Presents of the Philosophical Transactions to all such persons who send their Works of the like kind to the Society : it was
Ordered that for the future a Present of the Transactions shall be sent to the Dublin Society, who lately made a Present of theirs.
That the like Present be sent to Mr Celsius and to Mr Friewald at Upsal, so long as they continue to present theirs.
It being represented that there are now Duplicates of many of the Acta literaria from Sueden : it was
Ordered that all such Duplicates be given to Doctor Mortimer in consideration of the Present of the complete Set of those Acts, which he formerly gave to the Society. '
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