xxxii REPORT — 1853. 



" • General Post-Office, August 2nd, 1853. 



" ' My Lord, — The Postmaster-Geoeral has had under consideration your 

 Lordship's letter of the 22nd ultimo, aud I am directed to inform you that 

 he considers it would be difficult to establish any special regulation for the 

 transmission of scientific works only, through the post, to and from foreign 

 countries at a low rate of postage. 



" ' Lord Canning's attention, however, has been directed for some time to 

 the importance of entering into arrangements with the several foreign coun- 

 tries, with which this department is under convention, for the purpose of 

 extending to these countries, as nearly as circumstances will permit, the pro- 

 visions under which printed publications generally may be forwarded by 

 post, at a cheap rate, to a large number of Her Majesty's colonial possessions 

 abroad ; and I have to state that his Lordship is already in correspondence 

 on this subject with the Prussian post-office, acting on behalf of the greater 

 part of Germany ; and that he will take care that this point is borne in mind 

 in any future negotiation with foreign post-offices. 



" ' I have the honour to be, &c., 



" ' W. Maberly.' 



" Secondly. The subject of Lieut. Maury's plan, for making hydrographical 

 and meteorological observations at sea, by the co-operation of the principal 

 maritime nations, was referred to your Committee by your Council on the 

 29th November, and also by Colonel Sabine, your President ; and, at the 

 meeting of the Committee on the 11th of February, Lord Wrottesley was 

 requested to call the attention of the House of Lords to this very important 

 scheme. This was accordingly done on the 26th of April, and Lord Wrot- 

 tesley thought it right on this, the first occasion of an appeal to Parliament, 

 to take advantage of the opportunity that afforded to him to make some 

 remarks on the advantages arising from the cultivation of abstract science, 

 and on the duty of protecting and fostering a pursuit from which this country 

 more especially had derived such inestimable benefits. On the 13th of July 

 Sir Robert Inglis, in the House of Commons, as representing your Commit- 

 tee, again urged the importance of Lieut. Maury's plan on the attention of 

 Government, and the reply of Admiral Berkeley not being deemed satisfac- 

 tory, your Committee solicited and obtained an interview with Sir James 

 Graham on the 18th of July, on this subject. The Deputation consisted of 

 the Chairman, the Earl of Harrowby, the Earl of Rosse, the Bishop of Ox- 

 ford, Sir Robert Inglis, and Mr. Hey wood, assisted by your President, Col. 

 Sabine, and Sir Roderick Murchison, who were invited to accompany the 

 Committee. Sir James Graham stated he was prepared to issue instructions 

 to captains of men-of-war to take the temperature of sea-water, and that he 

 would send Capt. Beechy to Brussels on the 23rd of August to confer with 

 Lieut. Maury, who had arranged to meet at that time and place representa- 

 tives of many of the maritime powers of Europe ; he also stated to Sir 

 Robert Inglis, on another occasion, that he was willing to cooperate with the 

 United States Government by sending a vessel to explore the ocean between 

 the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. He stated, further, to the Depu- 

 tation, that he was not yet prepared to recommend to the House of Com- 

 mons the establishment of a separate department or office, for the purpose of 

 receiving, reducing, and coordinating the observations made either by ships 

 of war or the mercantile marine. The Deputation, in reply, expressed their 

 regret at this determination, and showed that unless an office of this kind 

 were provided, it was in vain to expect that observations would be made, and 

 that, if made, they would be productive of little or no benefit to navigation 



