NATURE 



389 



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1875 



THE SCIENCE COMMISSION REPORT ON 

 THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE* 



UNDER head III. is brought forward the " Evidence 

 relating to the Establishment of Physical Observa- 

 tories." 



On the general question of the establishment and 

 maintenance of Physical Observatories, Lord Salisbury 

 agrees that — 



". . . Some of these institutions which have been 

 alluded to in your grace's question, especially observa- 

 tories, clearly fall within the duties of the Government ; 

 and certainly, from all that one hears, it is probable that 

 their duty in that respect is inadequately performed, and 

 that observatories for a much larger range of observations 

 might with great advantage be multiplied." .... 



Sir George Airy, Astronomer Royal, thus states his 

 view on the subject : — 



" When I began to be an astronomer, such questions 

 as those of the constitution of the sun and the like were 

 not entertained." .... 



" Are you prepared to express an opinion as to whether 

 it is an object which would be a proper one for the Go- 

 vernment to take up as a State Establishment ? — The 

 Government are already pushed very hard in their esti- 

 mates. • The screw is always put upon them, * Cannot 

 you reduce the estimates a little more?' And then it 

 would always com.e to a question of extensive feeling in 

 the House of Commons, and of popular feeling out of the 

 House of Commons ; and I am confident from what I have 

 seen that those two bodies would not in every case support 

 an extension." .... 



" Should you say that it is an object which is not very 

 likely to be prosecuted with sufficient vigour unless taken 

 up by the Government.'' — I do not see how it could go on 

 except it were taken up by the Government. I do not 

 believe that it could go on in any other way." 



" It is not likely, you think, to be prosecuted by private 

 individuals, or by other public bodies such as the Univer- 

 sities?— No, I think that their funds are almost all 

 required for other objects, and the difficulty even of get- 

 ting the business into shape is extremely great." .... 



" Then such observations, in all probability, will either 

 not be made at all or must be taken up by the Govern- 

 ment ? — That is my view." .... 



Mr. De la Rue's opinion is thus given in reply to 

 question 1 3,066 : — 



" I think that the time for the State providing means 

 for reducing observations has now come : when the State 

 should take up, besides mathematical astronomy (which 

 deals with the places of the stars and planets, and the 

 moon especially), physical observations, more particularly 

 observations of the sun, which appear to me to bear 

 directly upon meteorological phenomena." .... 



Sir W. Thomson points out the importance of multi- 

 plying such Observatories : — 



" . . . In respect to the observatories, it might be 

 necessary to have several observatories for astronomical 

 physics in this country, if it were only to secure observa- 

 tions of interesting conjunctures, notwithstanding the 

 varieties of the weather, that there may be in different 

 parts of the country ; and, again, observatories for astro- 

 nomical physics ought most certainly to be founded in 

 other parts of the I3ritish dominions than England, Ire- 

 land, and Scotland ; in other latitudes and on the other 

 side of the world." 



* CoDtiuued from p. 364. 



Vol. XII.— No. 306 



Dr. Siemens expresses the same view in the following 

 evidence : — 



" . . . An observatory or several observatories should 

 be established for carrying on physical research, research 

 to obtain information on general subjects, such as solar 

 observations, magnetic observations, and other subjects 

 that might be thought desirable to obtain continually in- 

 formation upon." . . . 



" I think that almost the only new establishments 

 which you recommend are certain physical observatories ? 

 — Yes." 



" What would be the principal object of such observa- 

 tories ? — For the purpose of magnetic observations, solar 

 observations, and other general inquiries into physical 

 phenomena." 



"Do you contemplate the establishment of more than 

 one such observatory? — Probably more than one would be 

 desirable." 



"Do you contemplate the estabhshment of any such 

 observatories in any of the colonial possessions of the 

 country ? — Yes, I think so." 



" Speaking generally, would they be costly establish- 

 ments to found ? — Not very costly, not so costly as astro- 

 nomical observatories." 



Dr. Frankland has also given evidence on the impor- 

 tance of promoting the study of Astronomical Physics, 

 pointing out that " it would be necessary, in connection 

 with the Physico-Astronomical Observatory, to have the 

 means of performing various chemical experiments and 

 making physical observations. Of course the chemical 

 operations would be quite subsidiaiy to the cosmical 

 observations there." 



Mr. De la Rue, in reference to locality and organisa- 

 tion, in answer to the question whether provision for 

 carrying out observations of this character should be in 

 connection with the Greenwich Observatory, says : — 



" In connection with the Greenwich Observatory, yes, 

 but at the Greenwich Observatory, I should say not. I 

 do not think, in the first place, that there is space enough 

 at Greenwich, and the duties of the staff are already so very 

 onerous that it would require a separate establishment iw 

 such special work ; besides other new buildings it would 

 entail a chemical laboratory, and there is hardly space 

 for those at Greenwich. I believe also that it would 

 cause too divided attention on the part of the Astronomer 

 Royal, if he were called upon to personally superintend 

 investigations in the physics of astronomy, although I 

 think it would be very desirable that any new establish- 

 ments, if they are to exist, should be affiliated to Green- 

 wich." 



Admiral Richards, late Hydrographer to the Admiralt)', 

 and a Visitor of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 

 says :— 



"If you are going permanently to establish physical 

 observatories, I should prefer to see separate ones. I 

 think that the physical work probably would be belter 

 separated from the Royal Observatory." 



" You thirik that the two classes of observations are so 

 distinct in character as to render that desirable.^ — Of 

 course there is a certain amount of meteorology that must 

 be observed at the astronomical observatory ; but it need 

 not be of any extended character." 



A resolution in general accordance with the views ex- 

 pressed by Sir George Airy was transmitted to the Com- 

 mission in July 1872, by the President and Council of the 

 Royal Astronomical Society. This resolution is in favour 

 of the extension of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich 

 and other existing Astronomical Observatories, and does 



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