Report 0/ Librarian. 2G5 



November 17, 1852. — Mr. Crom, Senior Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The following wore proposed as members, viz. : — Thomas Anderson, 

 Professor of Chemistry, Mr. James Young, (Edinburgh), Mr. Edward 

 Meldrum, (Bathgate), and Mr. William Nielson. 



The second vote of the Society was taken on the change in the law 

 limiting the President's tenure of office to two years at a time, and 

 finally agreed to. 



The Society then proceeded to the fifty-first annual election of its 

 office-bearers. 



Mr. Robert Blackie called attention to the importance of the votes of 

 the Society being more concentrated than heretofore, inasmuch as the 

 law regulating the eligibility of members of Council by the number of 

 votes recorded for them was now about to come into operation. In order 

 to prevent the votes from being diffused over a large proportion of the 

 entire list of members, he proposed that twelve or more names be written 

 on the black board, after being moved and seconded, and that it be 

 optional for members to add to the number, and otherwise to vote as 

 they chose. 



This proposal having been submitted to the Society, permission was 

 given to write the names on this occasion. 



A list of names having been moved and seconded, was then written on 

 the black board by the mover. Several additional names were proposed 

 by other members, and also written upon the board. 



The voting then took place in the usual manner. Mr. William 

 Ramsay and Mr. Donald Campbell wore requested to act as scrutineers 

 of the votes. The scrutineers having retired to examine the vote papers, 



Mr. W. J. Macquorn Rankine read a paper " On Telegraphic Com- 

 munication between Great Britain and Ireland, by Mr. \V. J. Macquorn 

 Rankine and Mr. John Thomson." 



" The authors maintain that the best route for a Submarine Electric 

 Telegraph between Great Britain and Ireland is by the Mull of Cantyre ; 

 the breadth of the channel between that headland and Tor Point on the 

 coast of Ireland being less than 13 miles, while the breadth between 

 Portpatrick and Donaghadee is 22 miles; while in the former strait, the 

 exposure is so great as to render it almost impossible for vessels to 

 endanger the telegraphic cable by anchoring across it. 



" They contend that on grounds of national advantage, this line of 

 telegraph ought to be made, oven supposing those by Holyhead and 

 Portpatrick to be in operation. 



" Besides its general utility, this scheme would be fraught with great 

 local benefit to the west of Scotland and north-east of Ireland.'' 



Mr. Rankine exhibited several specimens of submarine telegraphic 

 cables manufactured by Messrs. R. S. Newall and Company. The 

 copper conducting wires, each imbedded in a thick cord of gutta percha, 

 are twisted together, wound round with rope-yarn, tarred, and finally 



Vol. III.— No. 5. 2 



