XXXvi REPORT — 1856. 



means of ascertaining), in order that the Committee may be informed by 

 him in what manner the work must be done to his satisfaction. 



" From what took place at the interview with which you favoured General 

 Sabine, Mr. Welsh, and myself on 18th of last December, as well as from 

 the tenor of the letter addressed to me by Mr. Austin on 5th last January, 

 the Committee fully relied on the necessary amount for the proposed work 

 being included in the Estimates ; they regret that any circumstance should 

 have arisen to prevent your carrying your intentions into effect, for although 

 the amount may appear trifling, in comparison to many sums voted on such 

 occasions, it is nevertheless a large item in the income of any scientific 

 Society supported entirely by voluntary subscriptions ; and considering that 

 the British Association already devotes the large sum of £500 per annum 

 for the support of the Observatory, the Committee could not anticipate that 

 the cost of laying on gas to a building the property of the Crown, would 

 have been refused by your Board. 



" I have only to add, that, although nearly two months have elapsed since 

 the date of Mr. Austin's last letter, and upwards of sixteen months since the 

 subject was first communicated to your Board, I have not received any com- 

 munication relative to the repairs, some of which are absolutely necessary 

 for the preservation of the building. 



*' Regretting that you should have been troubled with so long a corre- 

 spondence on this subject, " I have the honour to be. Sir, 



" Your most obedient Servant, 



" J. P. Gassiot, 

 Chairman of the Kew Committee, 

 British Association." 

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



First Commissioner of Public Works, &c. &c." 



" Office of Works, &c., 25th July, 1856. 

 " Sir, — I am directed by the First Commissioner of Her Majesty's Works, 

 &c., to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, stating that 

 the British Association will, out of a grant of money made to them by the 

 Royal Society, lay on gas to the Observatory at Kew, and requesting that 

 the necessary orders may be given to the proper officer of this department 

 on the subject, and also calling attention to the state of repair of the Building ; 

 and I am to inform you, in regard to the laying on of the gas, that the Board 

 request that the Committee of the Association will, as soon as they shall be 

 prepared to commence the works, communicate with Mr. Starie, the Officer 

 of this Department, who has the charge of the Kew District, and who is in- 

 structed to attend from time to time to see that the works are performed to 

 his satisfaction. 



" With regard to the repairs I am directed to state that, upon further con- 

 sideration, a question has arisen which renders it necessary for the First 

 Commissioner to submit that subject to the Treasury, and that upon recei- 

 ving their reply, the First Commissioner will communicate further with the 

 Committee. 



" I am. Sir, 



" Your most obedient Servant, 



" Alfred Austin, Secretary^* 

 " J. P. Gassiot, Esq." 



