| 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: George Busk; Arthur Farre; Edward Frankland; John Peter Gassiot; Philip Hardwick; Joseph Dalton Hooker; William Hallowes Miller; John Percy; Lyon Playfair; General Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; George Gabriel Stokes; Charles Wheatstone; 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 William Sharpey, Royal Society, Burlington House, 2 March 1858, to E. Hammond, Foreign Office, full text entered into the minutes: acknowledging receipt of information on the proposed surveying expedition to Vancouver's Island and enclosing two papers [both present in full] as advice to the expedition; enclosure 1, Zoological instructions for the naturalist of the expedition to Vancouver's Island, by Professor Richard Owen, British Museum, 28 January 1858; and enclosure 2, Memorandum of suggestions on the Rocky Mountains and on magnetic matters, by Edward Sabine. Applications from the Council of Military Education for the use of the Great Hall and Lower Library for examinations in April and July, acceded to. Letter from Mrs. [Caroline] Owen, Sheen Lodge, Richmond Park, 8 February 1858, to the President and Council of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: offering a portrait of her father, William Clift, to the Royal Society; thanks returned for the valuable gift. Letter from Mr. Beckles stating the results of his search for fossils in the Purbeck Strata. Letter from Archdeacon Tattam, stating that he had no further desire to withdraw from the Royal Society. The question of buying additional furniture was referred to the Burlington House Committee. Letter from Colonel Smith requesting arrears of the Philosophical Transactions, agreed, but limited to the past five years. Bill for payment, for engraving. |