| Description | Printed minutes containing matters laid before Council, the Royal Society's governing body of Fellows, with records of decisions taken.
Commencing with a list of Council members present: Rear-Admiral Frederick William Beechey; Thomas Bell; Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie; Charles Darwin; Warren De La Rue; Auguste Wilhelm Hofmann; John Miers; James Paget; the Reverend Baden Powell; Colonel Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; Rear-Admiral William Henry Smyth; George Gabriel Stokes; William Tite; Charles Wheatstone; the President, John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The President intimated that he had postponed the time of the Bakerian Lecture until that evening. Charles Darwin and A.W. Hofmann made and subscribed to the Declaration in lieu of the Oath, as new Members of Council. Letter from Mr. Muller, acknowledging the award of the Copley Medal. Draft letter of reply to the letter from the Board of Trade of 15 June 1854 respecting marine meteorological observations was laid before Council and it was resolved to print and circulate it for responses from Council Member and other Fellows, to be returned before 14 February. Report of Warren De la Rue, 22 January 1855, on the proposal to remount the object glass of Huygens to support the research on Saturn's rings by Otto Struve, full text entered into the minutes: an extended report, with costs and justification, including for the erection of a tower within the Deer Park at Richmond, the Pagoda at Kew having proved suitable, but being ruled out as too surrounded by trees; with an engraved image of the proposed tower; the report to be referred to Sir John Herschel for his opinion. Mr. Basire's bill for engraving and copper plate printing ordered to be paid. A subscription of £5 granted to the National School at Mablethorpe, and Mr. Weld was requested to visit the Society's estate at Mablethorpe in summer, to report on its condition. Philosophical Transactions to be sent to the Accademia dei Lyncei at Rome, to the Collegio Romano at Rome and to the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna. Proceedings to be sent to Chief Justice Lees in Nassau, to Professor Matteucci, to Signor Tortolini in Rome, Mr. Hodgson Pratt in Calcutta, to the Royal College of Surgeons and to Professor Secchi in Rome. Mr. Blore and Dr. Babington to be furnshed with copies of Philosophical Transactions for the past five years. Part I of the Transactions for 1846 to be given to Sir David Brewster. |