362 Presidentship of the Earl of Rosse 1852 



least reference to the event in the records of the Royal 

 Society Club, nor is there evidence of any greater influx 

 of visitors than usual. On the contrary the attendance was 

 rather below the average. The name of not a single foreigner 

 is to be found in the Dinner-registers for the year. In the 

 contemporary list of additions to the Fellows of the Royal 

 Society no foreign members are included. The Society, 

 however, was not unmindful of its position of honour in 

 the world of science, for among the candidates for admission 

 this year it selected three men each of whom was destined 

 to be its President William Thomson, George Gabriel 

 Stokes, and Thomas Henry Huxley. 



1852. In 1852 the Anniversary Meeting, held on June 

 24th, was attended by twenty-five members, the Earl of 

 Rosse, President, in the chair. The Treasurer's statement 

 showed that the expenses for the past year had amounted 

 to 107 175., leaving an unexpended balance of 8 75. 5d. 

 The contribution was fixed at two pounds. 



The death was announced of four members since the last 

 Anniversary John G. Children, Charles Konig, Thomas 

 Galloway, and George Dollond. No vacancies were declared 

 for non-attendance. As two of the deceased members 

 belonged to the ex-qfficio list only two vacancies remained 

 to be filled. There were three candidates for admission ; 

 but instead of balloting, as had hitherto been the practice, 

 it was agreed that each member should write two names 

 on a slip of paper and that the names having a majority 

 of votes should be declared elected. When the President 

 had examined and read out the names it was found that 

 the choice of the members had fallen on John Peter Gassiot 

 and John Joseph Bennett. J. P. Gassiot has been already 

 (p. 336) referred to. Besides his scientific attainments he 

 possessed an excellent business capacity, which he placed 

 at the service of the Royal Society and of the Club, to their 

 great advantage. J. J. Bennett, as a botanist was put 

 in charge of Sir Joseph Banks's herbarium and library 

 when they were transferred to the British Museum in 

 1827. He retained this post until 1870. He was elected 



