212 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



9. The best instrument makers in London at the present time are William Simms 

 (successor of Troughton, formerly his partner), 136 Fleet street; Thomas Jones, 62 

 Charing Cross; George Dolland, 59 St. Paul's churchyard. Dolland is principally 

 known for his telescopes and optical instruments; he has had little experience in the 

 construction of large graduated instruments. I know no maker who can be consid- 

 ered as successor to Troughton in originality and boldness of ideas. 



The whole annual expense of the observatory to the Government, including sal- 

 aries, additions and repairs to buildings, additions and repairs to instrument*?, and 

 printing, exceeds 3,000. 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION RELATING TO OTHER OBSERVATORIES. 



1. The observatory at Cambridge was built partly by private subscription, partly 

 by grant from the funds of the university, in 1820, at an expense of about 20,000. 

 It is maintained at the expense of the university. 



That at Oxford, I believe, was built from the funds l>equeathed for that purpose 

 by Dr. Radcliffe. 



Those at Edinburgh and Glasgow were commenced by private subscription and 

 afterwards assisted by the Government. 



That at Armagh was built from funds bequeathed. 



That at Dublin in like manner. 



I know not how those at Oxford, Armagh, and Dublin are maintained, but I believe 

 that the salaries of the observers, as well as the general support and repairs of the 

 buildings and instruments, are defrayed from the bequests. 



2. In the whole of these (Glasgow excepted, which is not much advanced) there 

 is a dwelling house for the astronomer, and in some there are dwellings for assistants, 

 connected in all cases by building under the same roof, or by inclosed passages, with 

 the observatory. 



The inclosure of land about the Cambridge observatory is 7 acres. 



That at Oxford, a field perhaps not so large. 



That at Dublin, about 30 acres. 



The new Russian observatory at Pulkowa, about 50 acres. 



3. I do not think that either of the observatories which I have mentioned has 

 undergone great alteration. The Cambridge observatory, built in 1820, has not itself 

 undergone any alteration, but on occasions of the presentation of a large telescope 

 (20 feet long and 12 inches in aperture) a new detached building was erected for it. 

 I may remark that the Cambridge observatory was built on a plan architecturally 

 symmetrical, which arrangement I should deprecate in any new observatory on 

 account of the difficulties which it presents to all future alterations. 



4. The astronomer at Cambridge is the Plumian professor. This officer is elected 

 by the trustees of the estate bequeathed by a Dr. Plume, and is paid by the rent of 

 the estate, amounting to about 300 per annum. When I was elected to that office 

 in 1827, I represented to the senate of the Cambridge University that this sum was 

 not sufficient remuneration for the duties of the observatory, and the senate increased 

 the payment to 500 by annual grant from the funds of the university. 



The astronomers at Oxford and Dublin are appointed by the trustees of certain 

 estates, and are paid from their rents. I believe that the astronomer at Armagh is 

 elected and paid in the same manner. 



For the appointment of the astronomer at Edinburgh the consent of the Govern- 

 ment is necessary. I know not how he is paid. 



5. I do not think that in any of these instances there is any distinct set of instruc- 

 tions or definition of duties. At Cambridge there is a board of visitors which meets 

 at least three times in each year at the observatory, one of these meetings being 

 attended also by other members of the university and strangers. I introduced at 

 Cambridge the custom of reading a report to the visitors at each regular meeting. 



