| Description | Printed minutes containing matters laid before Council, the Royal Society's governing body of Fellows, with records of decisions taken. Individual minutes are numbered.
Commencing with a list of Council members present: William Grylls Adams; Thomas Clifford Allbutt; Robert Bellamy Clifton; James Alfred Ewing; Lazarus Fletcher; Sir Edward Frankland; William Holbrook Gaskell; Alfred George Greenhill; Sir William Huggins; Charles Lapworth; Major Percy Alexander MacMahon; Raphael Meldola; William Ramsay; Arthur William Rucker; William Turner Thiselton-Dyer; the Treasurer, Sir John Evans; Thomas de Grey, Lord Walsingham; Walter Frank Raphael Weldon; Admiral William James Lloyd Wharton; the President, Lord Lister, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved.
1. Deaths of William Archer, Sir John Charles Bucknill, James Heywood, Dr. John Braxton Hicks, Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, Anthony John Mundella and Professor Charles Smart Roy.
2. President's report on the deputation conveying a congratulatory address to H.M. the Queen, with Victoria's reply entered as full text into the minutes. Notice of the event to be printed in Proceedings.
3. President's agreement to serve on the Royal Commission for the British Section of the Paris International Exhibition of 1900.
4. Treasurer noting that the amount payable to M. Perrin, the Joule Student, had been forwarded and received.
5. Secretary's report on actions taken during recess. Dr. D. H. Scott prevented from travelling to Crevalcore, to the inauguration of a monument to Malpighi; a congratulatory address was forwarded by post with a covering letter by R. B. Clifton, full text entered into the minutes. Letters sent to the War Office, the India Office and the Colonial Office at the request of the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee, including on the release of Captain Hills R.E. for observing duties. 50 copies of Sir J. N. Lockyer's report on observing the solar eclipse sent for distribution to observers on board H.M.S. Volage. Negatives of photographs from the 1875 and 1885 eclipses lent to the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr. G. H. Fowler's report on bad weather hampering tow-net hauls in the Faroe Channel. Professor Schuster's report on proceedings of the cartel of scientific societies at Leipzig. Dr. Ludwig Mond's inability to attend the conference of the Institut International de Bibliographie in Brussels. Interruption of Surgeon-Major Bruce's tsetse fly investigations. Telegrams received from the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia on progress in coral reef boring at Funafuti.
6. Letter from the Trustees of the Australian Museum on corrections in print regarding publication of the results of the Coral Reef Boring Expedition, draft reply approved.
7. Report of the Scientific Relief Committee, £200 placed with the Astronomer Royal and £100 with Sir Archibald Geikie, for the benefit of applicants.
8. Report of the House and Soiree Committee on recommendations for the Anniversary Dinner.
9. Nomination of auditors of the Treasurer's accounts.
10. Letter from the National Physical Laboratory Committee requesting the appointment of Fellows to give evidence: Lord Kelvin and Professor Oliver Lodge nominated.
11. Letter, Francis Mowatt, Treasury Chambers, 27 October 1897, to Lord Lister, full text entered in the minutes: H.M. Government to ask Parliament for funds to join the International Geodetic Association, requesting that the Royal Society suggest a representative to serve on the permanent Bureau and a delegate for the triennnial conference, consideration postponed.
12. Letter from Dr. P. L. Sclater on discussion of an Antarctic Expedition, subject postponed.
13. Application from Dr. Copeland for support from the Government Grant Fund for a solar eclipse expedition to India, referred to the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee.
14. Correspondence on the distribution of specimens obtained by Dr. Kammermeyer of Burghersdorp, under the Government Grant.
15. Application of Mr. Ogilvie-Grant for permission to divert a grant from the Government Grant Fund from investigating the fauna of the Cape Verde Islands to a similar investigation in Socotra, deferred.
16. Application from the Kew Observatory Committee for a grant to purchase magnetic instruments for loan to travellers; £100 from the Reserve Fund allocated.
17. Copies of the Trevandrum Observations part 7 volume 7 sent by the India Office for distribution.
18. Adjudication of Royal Society medals considered and adjourned.
19. List of retiring Council Members, consideration of lists of Fellows to be nominated, adjourned.
20. Nominations of Foreign Members for election: Professors Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers, Wilhem Pfeffer, J. H. van't Hoff and Ferdinand Zirkel to be proposed for election at the next Ordinary Meeting.
21. Letter from Signor Colombo, stating that he had placed the Royal Society's name on a committee for erecting a monument to Galileo Ferraris, the reply that he had exceeded his auhtority and is asked to withdraw the Society's name.
22. Extension of time for admission to the Fellowship granted to Dr. R. Bell and Professor W. A. Haswell.
23. Report of the Meteorological Council to be forwarded to the Treasury.
24. Leave granted for copying of illustrations.
25. Bills for engraving, colotypes, books and other expenses.
|