| 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; Edward Frankland; John Peter Gassiot; William Robert Grove; Philip Hardwick; Joseph Dalton Hooker; James Prescott Joule; William Hallowes Miller; Richard Owen; John Percy; Lyon Playfair; the Reverend Bartholomew Price; General Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; Archibald Smith; 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. Report of a Committee on the Newton portrait, full text entered into the minutes: the damage caused to the picture was the result of the copyist leaning it against a door, which was them opened from the other side, the painting striking the edge of a table; the artist was partly to blame for placing the picture in so insecure a position; the committee have given instruction for its repair and the matter has been reported to Lord Enfield, who was informed that repairs had begun by the person cleaning portraits, preparatory to their being removed to Burlington House. Application from the Council of Military Education for the use of rooms for examinations in May, acceded to. The Foreign Secretary reported that two vacancies had occurred on the list of Foreign Members owing to the deaths of Barons Cauchy and Thenard; a list of nominated candidates would be made to select replacements at a future meeting. Letter from Mr. Mallet, 8 April 1858, giving an account of his proceedings at the scene of the earthquake in the Kingdom Naples: the letter to be referred to the Government Grant Committee. The attention of the Office of Works to be drawn to the state of the trees behind Burlington House. List of candidates nominated for Fellowship of the Royal Society, to be recommended to the next meeting of the Royal Society. |