| 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; William Fairbairn; John Miers; William Allen Miller; William Hallowes Miller; James Paget; Colonel Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; Rear-Admiral William Henry Smyth; John Stenhouse; George Gabriel Stokes; the Reverend Robert Walker; the President, John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Letter from James Wilson, Treasury Chambers, 22 May 1856, to the President of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: responding to the views set out in Wrottesley's letter tp the Duke of Argyll, the Government cannot state any definite views on the juxtaposition of learned societies in a building to be erected in a central location; it is conceded that the temporary housing of the Linnean and Chemical Societies with the Royal Society in Burlington House would be possible, on conditions listed, including the creation of a common library, the housing of the Senate of the University of London in the west wing, and the portraits of the Royal Society to be open to the public; the President stated that the condition attached to the several libraries should not be held that ownership would change, or that Fellows would have additional borrowing rights, only those that apply to their own institution's books; a resolution to be sent a special general meeting of the Ryal Society and copies of the correpsondence to be printed and sent to each Fellow. The Treasurer noted a letter received from M. Secchi, expressing thanks for the favourable reception of his drawing of the lunar spot Copernicus: the drawing had been corrected and photographic copies were available at 5 shillings each, but it would take time to perfect it for engraving; resolved that Council would like to hear when the drawing is fit to be engraved, and that the Treasurer was authorised to obtain forty photographic copies for gratuitous presentation. Report of the Acton Estate Committee, 30 May 1856, full text entered into the minutes: noting the condition of the Society's 35-acre lands at Acton, let for market gardening and agriculture, and the Act of Parliament to put scattered strips together and improve land; the Committee requests power of attorney to act for the Society, to make the land more compact and increase its value. Resolved that the corporate seal of the Royal Society was to be attached to an instrument appointing Mr. Few to act for the Society and the Committee should continue its work. Thanks given to the the Lord Bishop of Oxford for undertaking to preach the Fairchild Lecture for 1856 and his eloquent discourse. Resolved that P.A. Secchi of Rome and Wilhelm Haidinger of Vienna be recommended to the Royal Society for election as Foreign Members. |