REPORT OP THE COUNCIL. XXV 



the British Arc of the Meridian, that " during the past season (1850) the 

 large theodolites have been on two stations in Scotland that required addi- 

 tional observations to be made from them, so as to perfect the chain of tri- 

 angulation ; and other observations are now being made at two other sta- 

 tions, at which those made in 1809 and 1841, under unfavourable circurn- 

 stances, have proved to be insufficient ; but the Director of the Survey is in 

 great hopes that no others will require to be done. The Zenith Sector has 

 also been employed during the past season in extending to its utmost limits 

 the second largest Arc of the Meridian in the British Islands, viz. from North 

 Rona Island to St. Agnes in the Scilly Islands, and in establishing, by direct 

 observations, at a station near Peterhead, what had previously been imagined 

 to be the case, that a deflection of the plumb line, to the extent of 8 seconds, 

 existed at Cowhythe Station, near Portsoy in Banffshire, and that in conse- 

 quence, its resulting latitude must be exceptionable. These observations 

 and others, including those made at 26 stations, are almost entirely printed, 

 and far advanced towards publication. In the office, the reduction and 

 examination of the observations, so as to fit them for publication, has been 

 ' steadily proceeded with, but the pressure for the Survey, under the Public 

 Health Act, has prevented as much progress being made as could be wished. 

 The Director of the Survey trusts, however, that he shall be enabled to 

 furnish, for communication to the British Association that will probably 

 assemble in 1852, the principal results obtainable from the Geodetic opera- 

 tions in Great Britain and Ireland. The Master-General and Board's 

 Order, of the 30th of March, 1850, also contemplates the publication of 

 the levels in the United Kingdom : this work is also in preparation, and the 

 first volume of it is nearly ready for the press." 



IV. Having thus noticed, in the preceding paragraphs of this report, vari- 

 ous subjects involving applications to Government, which have been referred 

 by the General Committee to the care of the Council, the Council deem it 

 their duty to bear testimony to the courtesy with which applications on the 

 part of the British Association have been invariably received by the Members 

 of Her Majesty's Government, and to their general readiness to comply with 

 recommendations so made. The recommendation of a Survey of the South- 

 ern Nebulae is the only instance in which there has not been an immediate 

 compliance ; and even in this exceptional case, the postponement is accom- 

 panied by a full admission of the interest of the proposed investigation. 



V. The General Committee have directed the Council to consider and re- 

 port upon such further steps as may appear desirable to be taken in reference 

 to the Committee of Members of the Association, also Members of the 

 Legislature, appointed to watch over the interests of Science, and to inspect 

 the various measures which might from time to time be introduced into Par- 

 liament likely to affect such interest. By the original constitution of that 

 Committee, as appointed at Birmingham in 1849, it comprised all the Mem- 

 bers of the Association who were also Members of the Legislature, and it 

 has been found practically that the number of the Members of the Com- 

 mittee so constituted, is too large for combined or permanent action. The 

 Council therefore recommend to the General Committee at Ipswich, to 

 appoint a Committee, consisting of a limited number of Members of the 

 Legislature, who are also Members of the Association, for the purposes con- 

 templated in the original appointment of the Committee on the 19th of 

 September, 1849 ; and they further suggest that the following noblemen 

 and gentlemen, being twelve in number, of whom six are Members of the 



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