44-8 On a Minute of Council of ilic Jloyal Sociefi/. 



they are always read at the following Council ; and as a further 

 precaution against the occurrence of mistakes, and against the 

 improper use that might be made of them, I usually defer 

 having them entered by the Assistant Secretary until just be- 

 fore the meeting at which they are to be read. This practice 

 also is blamed by the very person who professes such extra- 

 ordinary regard to the most punctilious accuracy, and who, 

 in the eagerness of his zeal to discover faults, complains that 

 the minutes of the Council of the 11th of February were not 

 sooner entered. Had he chosen to take the slightest pains to 

 inquire into the truth of the accusation before he made it, he 

 might have learned that the simple reason why there exist no 

 records of that Council, is that no Council was held on that dar/, 

 but only a Committee, the minutes of which were duly entered 

 in their proper place. , 



Such being the only instances which the author of these 

 statements, after the immense time he has spent in ransacking 

 the records of the Society, with an industry worthy of a better 

 cause, for materials of accusation, has been able to adduce in 

 support of his charge of inaccuracy in the minutes ; and such 

 being the data whence he draws the sweeping conclusion that 

 the whole of the minutes are unworthy of the least confidence, 

 and can never hereafter be appealed to as authentic docu- 

 ments,— may it not, with greater fairness, be inferred, now that 

 their accuracy has been established in these very instances, 

 that they are accurate throughout? His own arguments, in- 

 deed, might well be retorted upon himself with reference to 

 his own statements : but, however strong the temptation, it 

 would perhaps be ungenerous further to turn against himself 

 the same weapons which he has been so little scrupulous in 

 employing to impugn the conduct of the Officers of the Royal 

 Society. I remain, Dear Sir, 



Your most obedient and faithful Servant, 

 Bernard Street, Russell Square, May 21, 1830. P. M. RoGET. 



To Dr. Rogct. 

 My dear Sir, 

 Having this morning seen your statement respecting certain 

 minutes of the Council made previously to the last annual 

 meeting of the Royal Society, in relation to the ensuing elec- 

 tion, I bear very full testimony to its accuracy. 

 Believe me, my dear Sir, 



Your's ever most faithfully, 

 Bridge Street, Westminster^ May 22, 1830. Davies Gilbert. 



LXV. Pro- 



