| 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; Samuel Hunter Christie; John Frederick Daniell; Thomas Galloway; Thomas Graham; Sir John Frederick William Herschel; Francis Kiernan; John William Lubbock; Peter Mark Roget; John Forbes Royle; Captain William Henry Smyth; Robert Bently Todd; Charles Wheatstone; 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 G. J. Pennington, Treasury Chambers, 25 February 1839, to the President of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: transmitting a memorial towards the erection of an astronomical and physical observatory near Glasgow, signed by John Fleming; Council are of the opinion that the observatory would be a benefit to physical science. Letter from Anthony Panizzi, British Museum, 11 February 1839, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: on the conditions set out by Council for approching an arbitrator, with Panizzi objecting to the Society reserving the right to be represented by Counsel, since the case should not be decided on legal grounds but on 'gentlemanly and delicate sense of what is right and wrong.' Letter in response from the Marquess of Northampton, Castle Ashby, 12 February 1839, full text entered into the minutes: Northampton observes that the Society must be represented by Counsel, since individual members of Council could not represent the whole body; he might as President, but would decline the task; Few's opinion is that the phrasing of the agreement reflects that it is intended to be just, not simply legal, and he despairs of continued correspondence if Panizzi does not accept the terms. Letter from Anthony Panizzi, British Museum, 14 February 1839, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: waiving objections, however well-founded he believes them to be. Resolved that Council are willing to make a joint application with Panizzi for arbitration on the terms outlined and that Mr. Few should carry this out on behalf of the Society, providing for the examination of witnesses on oath and limiting the period within which the award might be made. Letter from Walker and Coulthurst, 13 New Inn, 27 February 1839, to J. D. Roberton, Assistant Secretary, full text entered into the minutes: on the receipt of stock in the will of Sir Clifford Wintringham. Mr. Kelland applied for an extenson to his admission to the Fellowship, granted. Dr. Royle reported two vacancies in the Committee for Botany, recommending J. Pereira for one position. Letter from Mr. A. Mackenrot enclosing a paper on orthodronic navigation. Letter from Mr. J. Herbert, Trinity House, referred to the Committee on Meteorology. Letter from Dr. Bostock recommending that the Society purchase a microscope for the use of Fellows, referred to the Donation Fund Committee. Letter from G. W. Featherstonhaugh requesting Council to re-propose him for Fellowship, so ordered. Letters from Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, and from Captain Conolly, recently elected, requesting that their names be admitted to the list of Fellows, granted. |