| 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: Thomas George Bonney; Heinrich Debus; John Evans (Treasurer); Michael Foster; Sir John Hawkshaw; Thomas Archer Hirst; William Huggins; Thomas Henry Huxley; Daniel Oliver; Henry Enfield Roscoe; Warington Wilkinson Smyth; Henry Tibbats Stainton; George Gabriel Stokes; Edward James Stone; Alexander William Williamson; the President, William Spottiswoode, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. Deaths of Joseph Descaisne and Theodor Schwann. Sir John Hawkshaw made and subscribed to the declaration in lieu of the oath. Letter from the Standards Department, Board of Trade, stating that the standard measures of length and weight deposited with the Royal Society had been compared and would be returned, a copy of the publication to be sent to the Society. Letter from T.H. Farrer, Board of Trade, Whitehall Gardens, 6 February 1882, to William Spottiswoode, full text entered into the minutes: Horace Darwin and Mr. Chaney have completed comparisons of standard weights and measures, but are of the opnion that the apparatus for conducting such accurate measurement is inadequate; he requests the Royal Society's advice on the matter; referred to a committee set up for the purpose. Dr. Fleeming Jenkin and Dr. Hopkinson had written to accept appointments to the Electrical Units Commission. Letter from the Treasury announcing the completion of arrangements with Sir Wyville Thompson for the publication of HMS Challenger results. Minutes of the Circumpolar Committee, recommending that permission be given to the Kew Committee to lend instruments to a Canadian Expedition and that the Oficers be empowered to take any necessary action before next Council. Minutes of the Soiree Committee read, the committee empowered to send out invitations, noting the dates of receptions and soirees. An extension of time for admission into the Fellowship granted to Lord Branmwell. Leave granted to H. Pollock to copy letters of Spinoza. Dr. Debus appointed to give the Bakerian Lecture 'On the Chemical Theory of Gunpowder'. Treasurer recommended the investment of £1,000 in consols for the Society's account. |