XXVI REPORT— 1851. 



House of Peers, and six of the House of Commons, be requested to fonn 



the Committee, viz. — 



The Lord Wrottesley. 

 The Earl of Rosse. 

 The Duke of Argyll. 

 The Earl Cathcart. 

 The Earl of Enniskillen. 

 The Earl of Harrowby. 



Sir Philip Egerton, Bart. 

 Sir Charles Lemon, Bart. 

 Sir R. H. Inglis, Bart. 

 Sir John Johnstone, Bart. 

 James Haywood, Esq. 

 J. H. Vivian, Esq. 



VI. A Memorial presented to the meeting at Edinburgh, by M. Kupffer, 

 Corresponding Member of the British Association, entitled " Projet d'une 

 Association pour I'Avancement des Sciences Meteorologiques," having been 

 referred by the General Committee to the Officers of the Association, the 

 following reply, prepared by the officers, was approved by the Council, and 

 transmitted, by their direction, to M. Kupffer: — 



" London, November 29, 1850. 



" Sin, — We are directed by the Council of the British Association to 

 acquaint you that your Memorial, entitled ' Projet d'une Association pout 

 I'Avancement des Sciences Meteorologiques,' was duly received, and was 

 laid before the General Committee of the Association at their meeting at 

 Edinburgh. The General Committee, hov.ever, feeling their inability to 

 decide immediately on a subject of such extent and importance, directed that 

 the Memorial should be printed for the perusal of the Officers of the Associa- 

 tion ; and, the officers having thus had opportunity of maturely considering 

 the proposal, and having stated to the Council their views upon it, we are 

 directed by the Council to transmit to you their reply, as follows : — 



" ' The Council are very strongly impressed with the advantages that must 

 result to the science of Meteorology from the prosecution of regular series 

 of observations conducted on a uniform plan, and extending over a con- 

 siderable portion of Europe and perhaps of Asia. But the Council perceive 

 also that there are at present serious difficulties in tiie way of carrying out 

 such a plan. It would, as they think, be difficult at any time to nominate 

 for each of the associated countries a Director possessing tlie requisite zeal 

 and knowledge and leisure ; and the periodical meetings of the Directors 

 would be found to be a source of extreme trouble. On the other hand, it 

 would be difficult to induce the various Directors to agree to defer to the 

 judgement of one Arch-Director. At the present time, when the construction 

 of some of the most important meteorological instruments is a subject of 

 active criticism, it would not be easy to establish uniformity of plan. And 

 it would be difficult to provide the funds which establishments of such extent 

 must require. 



" • These considerations, in the opinion of the Council, are sufficient to 

 show that the establishment of the proposed Association must at all times 

 be difficult. But they cannot omit to add that in the present disturbed state 

 of Europe the difficulty must be greatly increased. It is known to members 

 of the Council that state necessities, produced by convulsions which are not 

 yet allayed, have already caused the withdrawal of some grants for scientific 

 purposes of which the amount is small in comparison with those which would 

 be required for the proposed Association, and the Council therefore have not 

 the least hope that the Association could be established in an effective form 

 for some considerable time. 



" ♦ The Council are aware that in France, the construction of some of the 



