| 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 James Allman; John Ball; George Burrows; George Busk; Robert Bellamy Clifton; Heinrich Debus; Peter Martin Duncan; George Carey Foster; Francis Galton; Thomas Archer Hirst; Sir John Lubbock; William Hallowes Miller; Sir James Paget; Sir Edward Sabine; William Sharpey; William Spottiswoode; George Gabriel Stokes; Isaac Todhunter; Sir Charles Wheatstone; the President, George Biddell Airy, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. Letter from Sir Francis Grant, President of the Royal Academy, on the addition of an upper storey to Burlington House, requesting that the Royal Society consent to operations without delay and enclosing a memorandum by the architect Sydney Smirke: the proposal acceded to, on conditions specified by Smirke. The President drew attention to the use of part of the Meteorological Department's Parliamentary Grant for conducting meteorological observations at Kew, when similar observations were being made at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich: after discussion the subject was not proceeded with, the President to communicate with the Meteorological Committee. The Treasurer noted that the London and North-Western Railway Company had applied to Parliament to take a portion of the Society's land at Acton, to construct an embankment and viaduct for a new road, and the Treasurer had expressed dissent: he also noted the death of Mr. Stevens, the current tenant at Acton and his executors' intention to fulfil covenants until the lease expired; £25 contributed to the erection of a new church at Acton. Copies of the Correspondence on the Melbourne Telescope gifted to Dr. Auwers and Mr Winnecke, the Melbourne Telescope Committee to compile a list of those to whom the work should be distributed. An offer to be made the Chemical Society to supply the Proceedings at a rate of 600 copies for £100 commencing with volume 20. A committee to be appointed to consider arrangements for the Society's soirees, members listed. Dr. Sharpey noted his intention to retire from the office of Secretary at the ensuing Anniversary. Payment ordered to Messrs. Few for expenses in preparing and settling the Gassiot Trust deed. The seal of the Royal Society was affixed to a power of attorney to enable Robarts, Lubbock and Company to receive dividends bought for the Scientific Relief Fund. List of bills for payment, for lithography, printing and legal expenses. |