| 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; Sir Robert Stawell Ball; Thomas George Bonney; John Cleland; Robert Bellamy Clifton; Sir John Evans (Treasurer); James Alfred Ewing; Michael Foster; Sir Edward Frankland; Alfred Bray Kempe; John Newport Langley; Joseph Larmor; Nevil Story Maskelyne; Raphael Meldola; Edward Bagnell Poulton; Arthur William Rucker; William James Russell; Dukinfield Henry Scott; Walter Frank Raphael Weldon; the President, Lord Lister, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted:
1. Minutes of the last meeting read and approved.
2. Death of Latimer Clark.
3. List of President, Officer and Members of Council to be recommended for election for the following year, to be communicated to the public papers.
4-9. Adjudication of Royal Society Medals: Sir William Huggins (Copley Medal), Professor Oliver Joseph Lodge (Rumford Medal), Dr. John Kerr (Royal Medal), Walter Gardiner (Royal Medal), Professor Johannes Wislicenus (Davy Medal), Professor Karl Pearson (Darwin Medal).
10. Report of a Committee on the endowment of a National Physical Laboratory: the committee recommended accepting the Government's offer, while referring to specific elements of the letter in any reply. A committee of Officers to be set up to negotiate with the Treasury, a general outline of the intended scheme of management to be published, and the Gassiot Trust Fund to be used for the purpose. Report approved with amendments, including to the proposed committee. Draft of a letter to the Treasury, full text entered into the minutes.
11. Letter from Professor F. Leo, indicating that the German cartel approve of the establishment of an international association of learned bodies and the Society's offer to take preliminary steps in contacting other academies in Russia, France and Italy. The Society to proceed accordingly, with letters.
12. Letter from Sir Archibald Geikie, forwarding a letter from the International Geological Congress on the establishment of an International Floating Observatory, a committee to be formed for the purpose.
13. Letter from the Charity Commission on the future regulation of the Chelsea Physic Garden, referred to a committee formed for the purpose.
14. Application from Dr. J. N. Langley for a £14.5s., grant from the Publication Fund to aid in the creation of a colour plate for Professor Stockman's paper in the Journal of Physiology.
15. Application from Dr. C. Davison for a grant from the Publication Fund to aid in the printing of his report on the Hereford Earthquake of 1896, £60 granted.
16. Professor Poynting's resignation from the Sectional Committee on Physics and Chemistry due to ill-health; another vacancy caused by the death of Dr. John Hopkinson. Captain Abney and Professor Callendar appointed in their places.
17. Report on the proceedings of the International Conference on a Caatalogue of Scientific Literature.
18. Letter from Dr. Johnstone Stoney statting that his £22 grant from the Government Grant Fund had proved insufficent; a further £8 from the Donation Fund awarded to complete his computations.
19. Report of the Scientific Relief Committee on recent awards and on the need to publicise the existence of the Fund. Resolved that an annular circular should be issued to the Presidents of the Societies empowered to make recommendations.
20. Report of the Government Grant Review Committee: on balances of unused grants; on the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee's accounting of eclipse expeditions; and on the theft of a microscope and eyepieces purchased via the Government Grant from Mr. Ballance.
21. Letter from Mr. G. B. Howes forwarding a silver copy of the Huxley Memorial Medal of the Royal College of Science, thanks to be given.
22. Draft report on acts of Council for the year, amendments requested from Council Members.
23. Letter from the Joint Scholarships Board, requesting a Royal Society representative: Dr. W. J. Russell re-appointed.
24. Special meeting of the Royal Geographical Society to be called to arouse public interest in an Antarctic Expedition: referred to the Antarctic Committee.
25. Appointment of a Joule Student referred to the Secional Committee for Physics and Chemistry.
26. Professor Ewing's resolution to allow the Press into Ordinary Meetings on the authorisation of the Secretaries discussed, voted upon and approved.
27. Treasurer reported payment of £10 5s., to the Vicar of Eaglesfield for a tablet in memory of John Dalton.
28. List of salaries and wages paid to named Officers and staff.
29. Bills for printing and other expenses.
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