REPORT OF THE KEW COMMITTEE. X5CX1U 



the verification of meteorological instruments, they have in hand a balance 

 amounting to £260 : 4s. 6c?. ; they do not consider it therefore necessary 

 to apply to the Association for a larger sura than £350, to enable them to 

 meet the expenses of the ensuing year. 



By order of the Committee, 



John P. Gassiot, Chairman, 



22 July, 1856. 



Correspondence. 



" Clapham Common, December IStli, 1855. 



"Sir, — In the interview with which you favoured the deputation from the 

 British Association this day, you kindly explained that you had no power to 

 order the Works such as we required to be executed for the Observatory in 

 the Old Deer Park, Richmond, without the sanction of the Lords of the 

 Treasury, and you suggested the advisability of my briefly explaining to you 

 by letter the position in which the Association stands as regards the Building, 

 as also of defining the exact object of our application previously to your 

 submitting the same to their Lordships. 



" The Building was placed at the disposition of the British Association 

 by Her Majesty in 184'2 for scientific purposes ; it has ever since been used 

 for those objects, the entire expense of the Establishment being paid by the 

 Association, without receiving any assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, from 

 Government. 



" The Committee has obtained permission from the Hon. Charles Gore, 

 Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests and Land Revenues Department, 

 to have gas-pipes laid along the pathway through the Park to the Observatory 

 without any cost or indemnification being required by his department, pro- 

 vided the work is done in the winter months ; and the more immediate object 

 of the application of Colonel Sabine and myself was to request you would 

 order at the present time the gas-pipes to be laid on to the Observatory in 

 order that the Building may be properly lighted, such lighting being indis- 

 pensable for the carrying out various scientific investigations, and thus 

 enabling the Committee to fulfil with greater efficacy the purposes for which 

 the Building was originally granted by Her Majesty to the Association. 



" I may add, that the funds of the British Association consist of the con- 

 tributions of its members; from these limited means the Council have most 

 liberally expended of late years an annual sura of £500 for the Observatory, 

 but it being unable to meet this increased expenditure, which would not ex- 

 ceed £250 (the estimate is £200), the Committee has been induced to make 

 this application, which we hope will not be refused. 



" In respect to the repairs alluded to by us, we merely desired to explain 

 that some repairs were indispensable to preserve the Building, which, if 

 promptly attended to, would probably save a much larger outlay at a future 

 period. 



" The Building co\x\6. perhaps remain in its present state for a short period, 

 but a trifling outlay, the extent of which could be easily ascertained by the 

 Government Surveyor, would be all that at present is required. The Com- 

 mittee considered it their duty to point this out for your consideration. 

 " I have the honour to be, Sir, 



" Your obedient Servant, 



(Signed) "J. P. Gassiot, 



Chairman of the Kew Committee, 

 British Association." 

 " The Right Hon. Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., M.P., 

 Chief Commissioner of Works, Public Buildings, &c. &c." 



1856. c 



