| 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: Isaac Lowthian Bell; Sir Risdon Bennett; Thomas George Bonney; Heinrich Debus; John Evans (Treasurer); Alexander John Ellis; Michael Foster; Thomas Archer Hirst; William Huggins; Thomas Henry Huxley; Joseph Lister; 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. Death of the Reverend Thomas Romney Robinson; Isaac Lowthian Bell made and subscribed to the declaration in lieu of the oath. Letter from F. Cavendish, Treasury Chambers, 20 February 1882, to the President of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: enclosing a letter for submission to Council following discussions on the votes [on funding] for scientific enquiry. Letter, F. Cavendish, Treasury Chambers, 23 January 1882, to the President of the Committee on Education, full text entered into the minutes: on changes to the present sum of £1,000 voted for learned societies and £4,000 for the Science and Art Department vote, totalling £5,000 annually for scientific research; the £1,000 to be increased to £3,000 administered by the Government Grant Committee and £2,000 to the same committee for State Fellowships; there is disagreement, particularly on the latter arrangement, but it is believed that the Royal Society is the ideal intermediary between Government and the individual investigator and therefore a scheme of £4,000 should be proposed for scientific research under conditions. Draft letter, William Spottiswoode, to Lord Frederick Cavendish, full text entered into the minutes: thanking Cavendish and accepting the proposals to grant £4,000 for scientific research and promising to prepare the arrangement of details. Resolutions on the Government Grant, to be administered by the existing Government Grant Committee, its membership listed: sub-committees A-C formed; with regulations on the conduct of the awards, from applications to the duties of the Clerk. Lists of members of subject-based sub-committees A-C and sub-committee D to deal with personal grants. Copies of Philosophical Transactions awarded to the Royal Asiatic Society. Treasurer reported that £1,000 of consols had been purchased for the Society's stock account. Mr. J.S. Budgett of Stoke Park, Guildford, had donated £100 towards the cost of plates for Mr. W.K. Parker's papers. Bill for payment for engraving. |