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 Frederic Daniell; William Henry Fitton; William Haseldine Pepys; Peter Mark Roget; Charles Wheatstone; Sir John William Lubbock in the chair, succeeeded by 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 Sir James South, Stover House, Newton Abbots, Devon, 2 November 1842, to President and Council of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: he was on the eve of quitting London when the letter on imperfections in the Philosopical Transactions arrived; once he has returned from the Earl of Rosse's home at Birr Castle, he promises to examine his various documents to transmit a list of defects and offers to supply material from his own duplicates. List of salaries paid to Officers and staff. Resolved that the Mablethorpe tenant, John Cross, be given notice to quit. Letter from James C. Melville, East India House, 5 November 1842, to Sir John William Lubbock, full text entered into the minutes: an order has been given to issue instruments to Captain Boileau; Council transitted thanks. Resolved that the Treasurer pay £100 to Mr. Shuckard as soon as the Library Catalogue is completed. Resolved that the Copley Medal is awarded to Professor MacCullagh for work on the wave theory of light. Resolved that the Rumford Medal is awarded to Henry Fox Talbot for his discoveries in photography. Resolved that a Royal Medal is awarded to William Bowman in the subject of Physiology: the Committee for Astronomy reported that no paper in that subject was worthy of an award, therefore Council referred the second Royal Medal to Committees on Mathematics and of Chemistry. Professor Struve asked permission to send an artist to copy portraits for the Imperial Observatory at Pulkowa, granted. Mr. Christie reported that Newton's description of his telescope agreed with the telescope now in the possession of the Royal Society. |