142 



for the admission thereto, for purposes of reference and study, of 

 men of letters and science, on orders given hy Fellows of the three 

 Societies*. 



4. The Societies to be allowed the use of the Hall which it is pro- 

 posed to construct in the "West Wing of Burlington House, at such 

 times as it may not be required by the Senate of the University of 

 London, it being distinctly understood that this permission is to be 

 so exercised as not in any way to interfere with the convenience of 

 the University. 



5. The Collection of Portraits belonging to the Royal Society to 

 be hung on the walls of the proposed Hall, and to be open to the 

 inspection of the public under such regulations as may be convenient, 

 and subject especially to the proviso in the preceding clause. 



6. That the adoption of this temporary arrangement shall not in 

 any respect be held to weaken the claim of the Royal Society to 

 permanent accommodation. 



I have the honour, &c., 

 (Signed) JAMES WILSON. 



To the President of the Royal Society. 



The President having stated to the Meeting the circumstances 

 under which the offer of Burlington House had been made to the 

 Royal Society by Her Majesty's Government, Sir Benjamin Brodie, 

 Bart., V.P., proposed the following Resolution : 



" That the Council be authorized to accept and carry out the pro- 

 posal of the Government as to the occupation of Burlington House, 

 on the understanding that the Hall, which it is proposed to construct 

 in the West Wing, and which is to contain the Portraits belonging to 

 the Royal Society, shall be placed in the custody of the Royal 



* The President stated, that he had intimated to the Secretary of the Treasury 

 that, in his opinion, the Council would understand the third condition in the 

 foregoing letter as implying the mutual access to the three libraries by the Fellows 

 of the three Societies for the purposes of reference and study, but not as altering 

 in any respect the ownership or custody of the several Libraries ; and that in 

 future, as heretofore, the loan of the books of any of the three libraries should 

 he confined to the Fellows of that Society to which they belong. The President 

 further stated, that Mr. Wilson assented to the above explanation of the minute, 

 so far as it relates to the formation of a common library. 



