| 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: Lionel Smith Beale; Commander Frederick John Owen Evans; Edward Frankland; Francis Galton; John Peter Gassiot; John Edward Gray; Thomas Archer Hirst; William Allen Miller; William Hallows Miller; Sir John Rennie; William Sharpey; William Spottiswoode; George Gabriel Stokes; Count Paul Edmund de Strzelecki; the President, Lieutenant-General Edward Sabine, in the Chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. Resolved that Chapter III Section 2 of the Statutes should be repealed, full text of the draft replacement statute entered into the minutes and approved: draft replacement statute for Chapter III Section 6 also approved. The President stated that he had been in communication with various individuals on the matter of Mr. Hennessey's letter: Sir John Herschel and Mr. Lassell were adverse to the sending of a large telescope to India; a committee was appointed to report on the letter with recommendations on observations in meteorology and with the spectroscope. The Secretary stated that the bust of Dr. Falconer had been received. Letter from William Allen Miller, the Royal Society, Burlington House, 17 August 1866 to the Earl of Derby, full text entered into the minutes: noting the report in The Times newspaper that an arrangement had been made with the Royal Academy that the central building of Burlington House was to be placed in the hand of th Royal Academy; he asks if there is any foundation to this, since the scientific societies now in occupation had received no communication from Government. Letter from G. Barrington, 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, 21 August 1866, to William Allen Miller, full text entered into the minutes: Miller's letter had been referred to the First Commissioner of Works. Letter from Alfred Austin, Secretary, Office of Works, 25 August 1866, to William Sharpey, full text entered into the minutes: noting that the proposed appropriation of Burlington House for the Royal Academy would necessitate consideration of the accommodation for the learned societies already there; advice is being taken from Messrs. Banks and Barry, who will confer with Council of the Royal Society. William Sharpey noted that he and the Treasurer had met with Messrs. Banks and Barry. Letter from Messrs. Banks and Barry, 1 Westminster Chambers, 9 October 1866, to the Council of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: following up on the intention of Government in 1858 they have been appointed to make necessary arrangements to accommodate learned societies in new buildings to occupy space between Burlington House and Piccadilly; they ask for information on the number of rooms, with their uses and dimensions, required by the Royal Society, which would be similar to information already supplied by the Society in 1859; they ask if a meeting room might be shared between societies. A committee was appointed to consider what accommodation might be required by the Royal Society in the new buildings. Letter from the Committee of Council of Education thanking the Society for the loan of portraits to the National Exhibition of Portraits in 1866: noting that a large paper catalogue would be presented to the Society, and requesting details of any portraits which might be lent for a second exhibition; ordered that a Catalogue of Portraits belonging to the Royal Society be transmitted to the Committee to aid in any selection. Letter from Henry Cole, Secertary to the Commissioners for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, noting that as the President of the Royal Society was an ex-officio Commissioner, he should be informed of any change in the office. Letter from T.H. Farrer, Board of Trade, Whitehall, 30 August 1866, to the President of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: the Board of Trade was minded to adopt the recommendations of the report of the committee relating to the Meteorological Office, but it will be necessary to obtain the consent of the Treasury; in order to do so he asks for the views of President and Council and details of the establishment required at Kew for receiving and discussing meteorological observations and local observatories elsewhere, with costs. A committee was established to confer with the Kew Committee of the British Association, in order to reply to Mr. Farrer. The Foreign Secretary noted the death of Professor Riemann, recently elected as a Foreign Member, and letters received from others acknowledging their election. The Treasurer noted the sale of land at Acton to the Kensington and Richmond Railway for £100. The President left the Chair, which was taken by Mr. Gassiot as Vice-President. William Sharpey stated that he had been requested by Mrs. Sabine that she desired to present of portrait of the President painted by Mr. Pearce: the portrait was accepted and thanks were given. List of bills for payment, for printing, binding, and books. |