| 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: Sir George Back; Thomas Bell; Arthur Cayley; William Farr; Thomas Henry Huxley; William Hallows Miller; Sir Roderick Impey Murchison; William Sharpey; George Gabriel Stokes; Thomas Webster; Alexander William Williamson; the Reverend Robert Willis; Sir William Page Wood; the Treasurer and Vice-President, Major-General Edward Sabine in the Chair.
Among matters discussed or noted: minutes of the last meeting read and approved. Letter from Benjamin Collins Brodie, Broome, Betchworth, Surrey, 22 September 1860, to Edward Sabine, full text entered into the minutes: on his failing eyesight, and despite the prospect of a successful operation later in the year, he will not stand again to be elected as President of the Royal Society; resolved that Council looks forward to the restoration of his sight and are of the opinion that Brodie should allow himself to be nominated again; the resolution to be communicated in person by the Treasurer. Letter from F.C. Skey, stating that the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society had made application to Government, via the Office of Works, to hold their meetings in the Great Hall of Burlington House: draft of a reply from William Sharpey, full text entered into the minutes, noting that the proposal cannot be assented to, and forwarding resolutions of the three Societies now occupying Burlington House. Letter from [Henry] Norton Shaw, 28 August 1860, to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, full text entered into the minutes: thanking President and Council for use of the Great Hall and requesting the same favour for the Royal Geographical Society in the next session; the request acceded to. Application from the Secretary of the St. George's Rifle Corps to use the Great Hall for prize-giving, acceded to. Letter from Robert Mallet requesting a duplicate set of photographs of the Neapolitan Earthquake: agreed that Mallet should have use of the duplicates now in the Society's possession. Messrs. Schlaginweit to be allowed to have Philosophical Transactions for 1835 and 1850. Letter from Richard Owen, British Museum, 1 August 1860, to the President and Council of the Royal Society, full text entered into the minutes: requesting that he be allowed to dedicate his volume on the Megatherium and other extinct quadrupeds to the Royal Society, the request acceded to. Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron of the Ordnance Survey Office stating that Sir Henry James had obtained authority to present a complete set of maps to the Society, as soon as recently opened railway lines are added, thanks returned. Letter from Colonel W.E. Baker, India Office, 28 June 1860, to William Sharpey, full text entered into the minutes: after further consideration it had been decided not to proceed with publication of magnetical and meteorological observation taken at Simla, Madras [Chennai] and Singapore, but Sir Charles Wood will deposit a set at the Royal Society. List of bills for payment, for binding and wood engraving. The Vice-President retired and the Chair was taken by Mr. Bell: the Secretary informed Council that Mr. Gassiot wished to present the Society with a bust of Edward Sabine by Mr. Durham, and this was accepted with thanks. |