| 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: Henry James Brooke; Samuel Hunter Christie; John Frederic Daniell; Dr. Robert Lee; Sir John William Lubbock; Dr. Gideon Algernon Mantell; William Hallows Miller; George Rennie; Peter Mark Roget; 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 Sir John Frederick William Herschel, Collingwood, 19 October 1843, to Peter Mark Roget, full text entered into the minutes: relinquishing a grant of £100 from the Wollaston Fund, for commissioning an instrument for photographic researches into the spectrum; the costs from an instrument maker were so prohibitive that he had local workmen help him to construct an instrument on a remodelled design; progress was lost and the monograph of M. Becquerel on the fixed lines of the spectra presented results forming part of Herschel's original plan. List of bills to be paid, including for Powell's microscope. Edward Sabine applied to borrow D'Urville's voyages and atlas, granted. Letter from James Orchard Halliwell, 10 Fitzroy Street, 11 October 1843, to Sir John Wlliam Lubbock, full text entered into the minutes: on his offer to produce a catalogue of oriental manuscripts for the Royal Society, which he is now unable to accomplish; and a request for the loan of the manuscript of John Aubrey's Natural History of Wiltshire, granted. Michael Faraday applied for permission to reprint his Experimental Reseaches 1-14 and have use of the plates, granted. Mr. Roberton reported that all Library books had been returned. Erasmus Wilson asked leave to copy his paper on Entozzon folliculrum, granted. Mr. Grove applied to have 80 cpies of his paper on the gas voltaic battery, granted. Letter of thanks from Prince Alexander Labanoff, with a report that upon opening the case with Troughton's scale sent by Labanoff, that it was much tarnished: the Astronomer Royal to be informed that this copy standard yard was with the Society and would be sent to the Royal Observatory. Resolved to refer the matter of Royal Medal awards for 1843 to the Committees of Physics and Geology and Mineralogy. Resolved to refer to all Scientific Committees the question of contributions worthy of the Copley Medal. Application from the University of Basle for a grant of Philosophical Transactions, approved. Letter from William Shuckard referred to next Council. List of President, Officers, and Members of Council to be recommended to serve for the ensuing year, for election at the Anniversary meeting. |