| 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: Warren de La Rue; William Henry Flower; William Huggins; John Gwyn Jeffreys; John Marshall; Augustus Matthiessen; William Allen Miller; William Hallowes Miller; Rear-Admiral George Henry Richards; William Sharpey; Charles William Siemens; Archibald Smith; Henry John Stephen Smith; George Gabriel Stokes; John Tyndall; Alexander William Williamson; the President, General Sir Edward Sabine, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. The President noted that in support of a resolution of the Cojoint Eclipse Committee, he had tried to arrange with the Astronomer Royal for a meeting with the First Lord of the Admiralty on the subject of aid for eclipse observation but Airy's engagements would not permit it. A letter was read from the Admiralty stating that the Treasury has consented to defray the mess costs of the scientific staff in the proposed expedition on Porcupine. Letter from Dr. Bence Jones requesting a copy of the Rumford Medal for Dr. Ellis of Boston: agreed to a medal in soft metal provided it was not inconvenient to the Royal Mint. Leave granted to Mr. Scott to have use of a woodcut block from Dr. Miller's paper on deep sea thermometers: and to the Editor of the Popular Science Review for figures to illustrate a paper by Mr. William L. Carpenter. Mr. Gassiot to be allowed to copy his paper On Spectrum Analysis, from the archives. Letter from Mr. Yates noting an addition to the single volume of the Canton Papers, selected from the famly papers of Miss Decima Canton and Mrs. Rees, thanks given. £50 recommended by the Scientific Relief Committee to be given to an applicant. The Treasurer authorised to sell £50 of stock recently purchased for the Scientific Relief Fund. Next year's Annual Meeting for the election of Fellows to be held on 8 June 1871. Letter from Lieutenant Hennessey in India, proposing additions to a spectroscope in his hands and for an actinometer: Council considered it preferable to send out a new spectroscope and a committee was authorised to spend not more than £70 on an instrument. The nominations of Anders Jonas Angstrom and Joseph Fredinand Plateau as Foreign Members were confirmed by ballot. Candidates for Royal Society Medals proposed and seconded. Copies of Philosophical Transactions and Proceedings from 1863 granted to the University of Rostock. £100 placed at the disposal of the Library Committee for expenses of the Catalogue of Scientific Papers. The Treasurer authorised to have the Royal Society mace regilt, if he thought it advisable. The Treasurer authorised to pay bills for lithography during recess, up to £160. The Guildhall Library and the Standards Department to be placed on the list to receive the Catalogue of Scientific Papers. List of institutions to have journals exchanges, recommended by the Library Committee. All books to be returned to the Library by the end of July and none issued in August. Leave of absence granted to the Assistant Secretary. List of bills for payment, for lithography, paper and for other expenses. |