| 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: Dr. Henry Frederick Baker; John Rose Bradford (Foreign Secretary); Sir William Crookes; Francis Darwin; Sir George Darwin; James Cossar Ewart; David Ferrier; Sir Archibald Geikie (Secretary); Charles Thomas Heycock; Sydney John Hickson; John Joly; Alfred Bray Kempe (Treasurer); Joseph Larmor (Secretary); Dr. Alexander Scott; Albert Charles Seward; Frederick Thomas Trouton; Augustus Desire Waller; William Whitaker; the President, John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, in the chair. The Assistant Secretary [Robert Harrison] attended.
Among matters discussed or noted:
1. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and signed as correct.
2. President had received a letter from Mr. C.A. Parsons, requesting leave of absence from two Council meetings, on the grounds of severe illness.
3. 19 March substituted for 26 March Council meeting to allow attendance at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rome.
4. Deaths of Mr. R. Ellery, Sir A.B. Garrod, Professor Jannsen and Lord Kelvin: Professor Turner, Sir Lauder Brunton and Sir Norman Lockyer to write Obituary Notices; that of Lord Kelvin referred to Professor Larmor in consultation with the President.
5. The President noted that in consultation with Lord Kelvin's family he had approached the Dean of Westminster with a view to Lord Kelvin being buried in Westminster Abbey and that this had been consented to, with the Royal Society making all funeral arrangements for 23 December 1906; expenses had amounted to £174 9s. 5d., with some other minor outlays, the Treasurer authorised to draw £200 from the Donation Fund.
6. Professor Oliver appointed to Chair the Sectional Committee for Botany, as Professor Vines was unable to serve.
7. Sir William Crookes appointed to the Sectional Committee for Physics, in place of Mr.. Neville who was unable to serve.
8. Mr. W.E. Smith appointed to the Executive Committee of the National Physical Laboratory in place of Mr. Yarrow, who was unable to serve.
9. Publication Grant applications deferred until the next meeting.
10. £150 from the Reserve Fund of the Government Grant allocated to Dr. Gadow to study geographical distribution with reference to environmental conditions in Mexico.
11. Letter from Professor Haddon applying for £200 to enable Mr. Wheeler to take part in an ethnological expedition to the Pacific, referred to the Government Grant Committee.
12. Letter from the Colonial Office requesting the Royal Society's opinion on the establishment of a station in Australia for solar photography, referred to the Solar Research Committee.
13. Letter from the Treasury forwarding the report of the committee appointed to enquire into the work of the National Physical Laboratory, asking if the Royal Society concurred with its recommendations. Letter from Joseph Larmor, Royal Society, 23 January 1908, to the Secretary, H.M. Treasury, full text entered into the minutes: the Society accepted in principle the recommendations of the report, which had been submitted to the Executive Committee of the Laboratory; if there was a financial loss in the future, the Treasury would give that favourable consideration.
14. Report of the Sectional Committee for Physics and Chemistry, recommending Professor C.H. Lees to give the Bakerian Lecture, approved.
15. Application from Professor Halliburton for the suspension of a certificate of candidature for Professor Haycraft, which had been delayed by an unavoidable accident: Council granted this, due to the special circumstances.
16. Application from the British Science Section of the Franco-British Exhibition for the loan of historical scientific apparatus, not granted.
17. The Royal Society's solicitors empowered to take action against Mr. Serff, a defaulting lessee of property.
18. Treasurer reported the receipt of £2,000 from Dr. Ludwig Mond, the second installment of a donation to complete the Catalogue of Scientific Papers.
19. Report of the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee, with a list of members, but reporting no activity during the previous year.
20. Treasurer reported the purchase of bonds drawn on the Gassiot Trust account.
21. Request from the Challenger Society asking for the use of the Royal Society's rooms, granted.
22. List of bills for payment, for printing, engraving and for other expenses. |