| 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: Rear-Admiral Frederick William Beechey; Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie; William Benjamin Carpenter; Arthur Cayley; Charles Darwin; Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton; John Miers; William Allen Miller; James Paget; Colonel Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; Rear-Admiral William Henry Smyth; John Stenhouse; George Gabriel Stokes; the President, John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The Secretary read a statement of the procedeings of a meeting of learned society Presidents held at Somerset House on 26 April: the President reported on two interviews with Mr. Wilson of the Treasury on accommodation for societies at Burlington House; resolved that the President should call a special general meeting of the Royal Society to take opinions on removing the Royal Society to Burlington House, as soon as the matter is ready. Letter from the Astronomer Royal to the Treasury, noting that the standard yard preserved at the Royal Observatory had been affected by the oak case in which it was housed, suggesting an examination of the Royal Society yard; the standard having been inspected by Council, it appeared to be in good preservation, but the Treasurer was requested to make a more detailed examination and report to Council. George Gabriel Stokes brought forward a proposition from Warren De la Rue respecting a new wooden tower for mounting the Huygens object glass, at an estimated cost of £340: the balance of grants in De la Rue's hands was about £390; resolved that Council was unwilling to proceed in the matter until they receive the report of the Committee respecting preliminary trials on the object glass and menawhile, the new tower plan should be submitted to the Committee for consideration. Letter from B. Osborne, Secretary of the Admiralty, 8 May 1856, to the Secretary of the Royal Society, Somerset House, full text entered into the minutes: the Admiralty have sanctioned a grant of £500 for Piazzi Smyth's expedition to Teneriffe and would welcome any suggestions Council might have on the project; the letter was referred to the Officers for a report. Letter from Mr. Tite in reference to the proceedings of the Committee on the Acton Estate. Mr. Tite applied for volumes of the Philosophical Transactions for the last five years, granted. |