| 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: Francis Baily; Dr. Martin Barry; Henry James Brooke; Samuel Hunter Christie; Reverend James Cumming; John Frederic Daniell; John Thomas Graves; Dr. Robert Lee; Sir John William Lubbock; William Hallows Miller; William Hasledine Pepys; Peter Mark Roget; Charles Wheatstone; the President, Spencer Joshua Alwyn Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton, in the chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Letter from J.G. Graham, Whitehall, 18 May 1843, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: acknowledging the address to Queen Victoria on the death of the Duke of Sussex. Mr. Baily reported that the Greenwich Observations requested for the Washington Observatory had been supplied by the Royal Astronomical Society. Letter from Sir John William Frederick Herschel, Collingwood, 9 May 1843, to the Secretary, full text entered into the minutes: noting that the climate of the eastern districts of the Cape [South Africa] remained uninvestigated and recommending instruments to be used in such work; these measures adopted with Mr. Daniell and Mr Wheatstone to supervise matters. Dr. Roget reported on behalf of the Microscope Committee that having examined the instrument sent by Mr. Powell, the only one received, the premium should be paid to him; adopted by Council. Letter from Richard Sheepshanks, no date, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: on the pendulum apparatus to be sent to Dr, Knorr, with extensive observations on the design of Kater's pendulum, its use and possible defects; he believes that this type of instrument should not have been supplied to Knorr, unless he had specifically asked for it and he suggests the addition of a bar pendulum on Airy's construction at a cost of £30. Letter from Edward Sabine, Woolwich, 25 May 1843, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: asserting that Dr. Knorr's reasons for choosing to have a pendulum of Kater construction were partly historical and to his purpose, but believing that Sheepshanks' suggestion of also sending a second pendulum might be done within the original £50 budget; Council resolved that the advance should be returned to Knorr, as the instrument is not quite perfect. Application from Lord Clanricarde for permission to copy the portrait of the late Duke of Sussex for the Reform Club, granted. Letter from Mr. Smee, objecting to the Committee of Papers' recommendation not to publish his paper on the reduction of metals and offering to explain any parts of the paper where doubts may exist; Council declined to accede to the request. Letter from William Shuckard, Royal Society Library, 1 June 1843, to Sir John William Lubbock, full text entered into the minutes: referring to an article in the Quarterly Review in which a footnote alluded to books missing from the Royal Society Catalogue of Miscellaneous Literature, Shuckard notes that the books concerned are indeed in the Library; the Secretary asked to write to the editor asking for clarification and a correction to mis-statements. Resolved that Royal Medals for 1846 should be given for the best papers in Physics and in Geology and Meteorology. Letter from George Biddell Airy, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 25 May 1843, to Samuel Hunter Christie, full text entered into the minutes: some steps may be taken on the construction of a national standard of weight during the Society's vacation and therefore Airy requests the loan of Ramsden's balance, granted. Letter from Mr. E. Mulsant offering an exchange of journals with the Royal Society of Lyons, granted. Letter from Baron Brunow, Ashburnham House, 25 May 1843, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text entered into the minutes: transmitting a letter from Prince Labanoff. Letter from Prince Alexander Labanoff, St. Petersburg, 14 April 1843, to the Marquess of Northampton, full text [in French] entered into the minutes: offering assistance in standard measurement by sending Troughton's standard scale, thanked by Council. |