| 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: Francis Baily; John George Children; Samuel Hunter Christie; John Frederick Daniell; Thomas Galloway; Thomas Graham; Sir John Frederick William Herschel; Francis Kiernan; John William Lubbock; George Rennie; Peter Mark Roget; John Forbes Royle; Captain William Henry Smyth; Robert Bently Todd; Charles Wheatstone; Reverend William Whewell; the President, Spencer Joshua Alwyn Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Letter from Anthony Panizzi, British Museum, 15 January 1839, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: Panizzi had learned from Mr. Few that the intended referee on his claims was to be a barrister and objects on the grounds that the affair would not be settled amicably and he would have preferred a gentleman to act; if a barrister is to be used, he would prefer it not to be a practising barrister, but proposes instead one of a list of six noblemen and gentlemen; he does not want to communicate with a Mr. Few, the solicitor, but any gentleman. Letter in response from the Marquess of Northampton, Castle Ashby, 16 January 1839, to Anthony Panizzi, full text entered into the minutes: noting that Mr. Few's motive in suggesting a professional opinion was that there would be no difficulty in finding one - the case might still be considered under equitable as well as legal grounds and the gentlemen on Panizzi's list might refuse to act as referees. He does not think that Panizzi should contact these gentlemen, but should have a further list of referees if Council decide to agree to this course. Letter from Anthony Panizzi, British Museum, 15 January 1839, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: persons conversant with such matters have informed Panizzi that no professional man would judge the case on anything other than legal grounds and that expenses might be considerable; he thinks it unlikely that his suggested gentlemen would refuse the office en masse, but he will take no further action until Council had deliberated. Council agreed to refer the matter to John Elliott Drinkwater Bethune for arbitration, reserving the right to appear with counsel; if Bethune should refuse, James Loch or John Wood would be asked to referee; resolutions to be transmitted to Panizzi. The Library Catalogue to be published and sold at 10 shillings to Fellows and fifteen shillings to the public. Letter from Captain Manning on the proposed Antarctic Expedition referred to the Meteorological and Physics Committees. Dr. Philip applied to republish his 1836 Philosophical Transactions paper, granted. Letter from B. Hebeler, Prussian Consul-General, requesting a grant of Philosophical Transactions and Greenwich Observations for the Royal Observatory, Breslau, granted for the Observations, but not Transactions. List of candidates for Foreign Membership, four names to be selected for election. Resolved that scientific committees should meet for appointing fixed days to convene, at least once per month. Dr. Royle reported that Mr. Brown, Chair of the Committee of Botany, wished to withdraw, his name omitted from the committee list accordingly. |