and Proceedings of the late President of the Royal Society. 253 



the pauers read in the Geolo-ical Society had so increased in 

 magnitude and interest, that it became a question whether the 

 Society should not issue a voUime, Sir Joseph proposed that they 

 should be inserted in the Transactions of the Royal Society. 

 This might perhaps have been acceded to ; but it was acconi- 

 paiiied with the further extraordinary condition, that after the 

 Council of the Geological Society had determined what papers 

 should he printed and what laid aside,'' uisCouvcd," that is, the 

 Council of the Royal Society, should have the further power of 

 adopting or rejecting those luhich were thus selected for their 

 use. This strange condition naturally earned tlie rejection of 

 Sir Joseph's proposal. Immediately he seceded from the Geo- 

 logical Society, with many of his friends. The Society, however, 

 continued to flourish notwithstanding ; and in the course of 

 three or four years, several of the seceding members begged to 



be re-admitted. . r ^ v> ■^- u 



In 1818, it was attempted, under the auspices ot the british 

 Government, to carry into eifect a plan for determining with 

 considerable accuracy the relative values of the weights and 

 measures of all trading countries. This plan originated with 

 Dr. Kelly, of Finsbury Square, who was about to prepare a new 

 edition of " The Universal Cambist," a comprehensive "'"'k on 

 the monies, weights and measures of all countries, which had 

 been Hberallv patronized by Government. The Doctor pointed 

 out to " the'Board of Trade" the advantages that \vould accrue 

 to the commercial world, if Government would avail themselves 

 of this season of universal peace, and obtain accurate standards 

 of the principal measures of all countries. !n consequence ot 

 this suggestion, Lord Castlereagh, by the recommendation ot the 

 Board of Trade, issued a circular in March 1818, directing al 

 the British Consuls abroad to send home copies of the principal 

 standards of weight and measure, employed within their respec- 

 tive consulates, verified bv the proper authorities, and accom- 

 l)anied by cKplaiiatory papers. This order was executed in the 

 course of the year, in a very complete and satisfactory manner; 

 and the standards thus transmitted were deposited m our Royal 

 Mint, where the comparisons were to be made by Paibertbwgtey, 

 Eso. the King's Assay-master, in conjunction with Dr. Kelly; 

 tlic' latter of whom was to publish the results in the new edition 



of his Cambist. . , , r i 



The business, it would seem, had proceeded thus far unl;nown 

 to Sir Joseph Banks, although he was a member of the Board ot 

 Trade. No sooner did he learn what had been going on, than 

 he expressed great displeasure that the plan was not under Im 

 direction : and he had sulficicnt influence to obtain an order 

 •ompelling llie otTic-ers at the Mint to .It^-.t from all further pro- 

 ' " ccedings 



