Union of Scientific Societies 29 



poses, viz. by the London University, which was already 

 applying for other rooms. Supposing, however, their request 

 were refused on those grounds, that would give them good 

 grounds for applying to Government for a new building, 

 possibly on a more comprehensive plan. 



The discussion was resumed at the meeting on March 23rd, 

 when some of the members present urged the importance of 

 bringing together the libraries of scientific societies and the 

 advantage of preparing a list of the books in which they 

 were deficient. 



At the first Anniversary Meeting on April 24th, all the 

 time was occupied by business proper to the occasion, and 

 a rule, of which due notice had been given, was passed, 

 that in the event of a member of the Club being absent 

 from the United Kingdom for a whole year and notifying 

 the fact, he could be considered a supernumerary member 

 and excused the payment of his subscription. On his 

 return he would be entitled to attend the dinners, as if he 

 were a member, until a vacancy occurred, when he should 

 be restored by the Committee to actual membership. 



The two vacancies made by the death of Professor 

 McCullagh and the retirement of Mr. Fox Talbot were 

 filled by the election of Mr. T. Galloway and Mr. G. R. 

 Porter. 



MR. THOMAS GALLOWAY was born in Lanarkshire on Feb. 26th, 

 1796, and early showed mathematical ability, which was fostered 

 "by learning the continental methods of treating those subjects 

 from two French prisoners of war who were residing near his home. 

 After taking the M.A. degree at Edinburgh in 1820 he taught for 

 a time at Sandhurst, but became actuary to the Amicable Life 

 Assurance Company in 1836, and held that office till Nov. ist, 1851, 

 when he died of spasm of the heart at his house in Torrlngton 

 Square, London. He wrote several memoirs on astronomical and 

 other subjects, the most important being one on the Proper 

 Movement of the Solar System, for which he was awarded a Royal 

 Medal in 1830, having been elected a Fellow in 1829. 



MR. GEORGE RICHARDSON PORTER was a Londoner, born in 1792. 

 After an unsuccessful attempt at a business career, he devoted himself 

 to economics and statistics, on which he wrote many papers. After 

 making a valuable digest of Parliamentary Reports, he was appointed 



