Accommodation at Burlington House 45 



The two vacancies in the Club were filled by replacing 

 Dr. Falconer on the list and electing Colonel James. Colonel 

 Sabine announced that the Government had placed 1000 

 at the disposal of the Royal Society. 1 



SIR HENRY JAMES, Director-General of the Ordnance Survey, 

 was born near St. Agnes, Cornwall, in 1803. He passed from 

 Woolwich into the Royal Engineers in 1825, and in the following 

 year was appointed to work on the Ordnance Survey, and then 

 to be local superintendent, under Sir H. T. de la Beche, of the 

 Geological Survey of Ireland. Detached in 1846 for Admiralty 

 work, he returned after four years to the Ordnance Survey, of which 

 he became Director-General in July, 1854, reaching the rank of 

 Lieut. -Colonel in the following December. During his tenure of 

 office great changes were made ; the scales adopted for the maps 

 were finally settled, photography was employed in the reduction 

 from one scale to another, and photozincography in printing the 

 results. The Director also took part in connecting the British 

 survey with those of neighbouring countries, and arranged for the 

 survey of Jerusalem and the Sinai district. Elected F.R.S. in 1848, 

 he was knighted in 1860, became Lieut. -General in 1876, resigned 

 office owing to failing health in August, 1875, and died on June I4th, 

 1877. 



On Dec. 20th, Mr. Grove's proposal for a change in the 

 mode of election was discussed, but dropped, as it appeared 

 not to meet with general support. 



Lord Wrottesley intimated such progress as had been 

 made in regard to housing the scientific societies at Burling- 

 ton House, and Colonel Sabine, with Dr. Lyon Playfair 

 (who had proffered his services), were requested to press the 

 matter on the Government. 



1856. At the meeting on January 24th, the former 

 stated the result of an interview with Sir Benjamin Hall, 

 who had said that the Board of Trade had not received any 

 information of the Government's intentions about Burlington 

 House. The University of London had been permitted to 

 occupy it, but whether temporarily or permanently he did 

 not know. He had, however, recommended that Lord 

 Wrottesley, as President of the Royal Society, should 



1 This is apparently the institution of the " Government Grant Fund," 

 which has been very helpful in scientific research. See Year Book oj the 

 Royal Society. 



