| 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; Peter Mark Roget; Robert Bently Todd; Charles Wheatstone; Reverend William Whewell; Reverend Robert Willis; the Treasurer, John William Lubbock, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Letter from C. R. Fox, Ordnance, 14 August 1839, to Samuel Hunter Christie, full text entered into the minutes: three gunners and drivers are to be selected from the Royal Artillery to assist in foreign station observations, raised to the rank of bombardier. Letter from James Orchard Halliwell, 35 Alfred Place, 17 October 1839, to John William Lubbock, full text entered into the minutes: laying before Council a catalogue of the Royal Society's manuscripts, noting important examples; Halliwell offers to compile a catalogue oriental manuscripts and asks permission to take copies of letters of Henry Oldenburg to John Milton. Resolved to thank Halliwell, granting permission to copy Milton letters, print the catalogue and make a catalogue of oriental manuscripts. Read a letter from M. Maublanc on a machine of his invention. Letter from Mr. Few relating to the Mablethorpe estate. Sir Thomas Acland requesting permission for an extension to admission to the Fellowship. Resolution of 24 October 1831 relating to proposing persons for medals, rescinded. Award of Royal Medals referred to the Committee of Astronomy and the Committees on Botany and Vegetable Physiology and Zoology and Animal Physiology. Award of the Copley Medal referred to the scientific committees. William Snow Harris's paper on electricity to be the Bakerian Lecture for 1839. The several committees to review their respective reports on the Antarctic Expedition for general use and circulation. |