| 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: William Henry Barlow; Thomas George Bonney; George Busk; Sir Richard Assheton Cross; Edwin Dunkin; Alexander John Ellis; John Evans (Treasurer); Thomas Archer Hirst; William Huggins; Thomas Henry Huxley; John Marshall; William Odling; Daniel Oliver; Sir James Paget; Henry Tibbats Stainton; George Gabriel Stokes; Lieutenant-General Richard Strachey; Alexander William Williamson; the President, William Spottiswoode, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. Resolved that John Tyndall be appointed to deliver the Bakerian Lecture. Letter from Norman Macleod, Science and Art Department, London, 26 February 1881, to the Secretary, the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: noting that the Government Grant of £4,000 per year was commenced as a five-year experiment and requesting Council's observations before renewing within spending estimates for 1882-1883; the letter referred to the Officers to prepare a draft report for October Council. Letter from G.F. Duncombe, Science and Art Department, London, 12 March 1881, to George Gabriel Stokes, full text entered into the minutes: his letter has been received and his recommendations regarding the £4,000 Government Grant have been approved. Letter from G.F. Duncombe, Science and Art Department, London, 21 March 1881, to George Gabriel Stokes, full text entered into the minutes: as the balance of the Government Grant for 1880-1881 is £2,420 and administrative costs, the £360 recommended to be paid to Grant, Etheridge and Carpenter must be paid from the 1881-1882 allocation. The Treasurer reported that after arguments before Vice-Chancellor Hall, the Royal Society had the power to sell the estate at Acton, despite the 29th section of the Charitable Trusts Act of 1855: the seal of the Royal Society to be affixed to the conyeyance to Mr. Thompson; papers relating to the case to be placed in the iron chest. The Treasurer brought up an application from the purchasers for a loan on a mortgage of two-thirds of the purchase money: a sum not exceeding £16,000 to be allowed to remain on the mortgage at a rate of interest of not less that 4 1/2 percent per annum until buildings are erected on the property, after which interest might be reduced; arrangements to be controlled by the Estates Committee. £500 bequeathed to the Royal Society by Robert Keck in 1719 to support foreign correspondence and formerly invested in East India bonds, was now merged with general stock and funds: he recommended the sale of consols, the proceeds to be reinvested and kept as a separate fund, approved. Letter from Ernst Curtius, Koniglische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, 11 March 1881, to William Spottiswoode, excerpt of text [in German] entered into the minutes: on the Newton-Leibniz correspondence. Letter from M. Berger, Exposition Internationale d'Electricite, the response to be that the organisation of the Royal Society does not permit them to engage in the duties suggested, but that his wishes might be met by other Societies. Letter from Bruce Allen requesting aid from the Donation Fund, declined. Letter from Sir Joseph W. Copley, Travellers' Club, Pall Mall, 21 March 1881, to President and Council of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: noting stock placed in the hands of the Royal Society intended to generate a yearly bonus of £50 to be given to the recipient of the Copley Medal; Copley to be thanked. List of candidates for Foreign Membership of the Royal Society from the Suggestion Book. Letter from Major J. Herschel with an enclosure from Mr. C.S. Peirce requesting the loan of two invariable pendulums, referred to the Kew Committee. List of bills for payment, for books and binding. |