History of the Government Grant. 



that a Parliamentary vote for the amount of the Grant might be 

 taken. 



In their reply the Council, while accepting the latter suggestion 

 emphasised the fact that the Government Grant was not "a grant to 

 the Royal Society," but " a contribution on the part of the nation 

 towards the promotion of science generally in the United Kingdom," 

 and that the Council regarded themselves " as Trustees of the 

 Grant, and accountable to the public for its due administration as 

 long as it should be continued." 



From that time to the year 1881 the sum of 1000 was annually 

 voted by Parliament for the promotion of science in the United 

 Kingdom, and was administered by the Council of the Society upon 

 the advice of a Committee consisting of the Members of the Council) 

 twenty-one Fellows, not members of the Council, and the Presidents 

 of the Chemical, Geological, Linnean, and Royal Astronomical 

 Societies (Council Minutes, Jan. 27, 1859). This Committee was at 

 first appointed triennially, but after 1862 annually. 



II. "GOVERNMENT FUND" OF 4000 A YEAR AND "GOVERNMENT 

 GRANT" OF 1000 A YEAR. 



In July, 1856, the attention of the Council wa^s Called to a motion 

 which had been made in the House of Commons for the appointment 

 of a Committee to consider the question, whether any measures could 

 be adopted by the Government or Parliament that would improve 

 the position of science or its cultivators in this country, and it was 

 agreed that as the appointment of the Committee had been deferred 

 until the next Session of Parliament with a view of permitting the 

 question to be meanwhile maturely considered by scientific men, it 

 was expedient that the subject should receive the early attention of 

 the Council. 



The Government Grant Committee were, therefore, requested to 

 draw up a Report containing such suggestions as might occur to them, 

 :and present it to the Council after the recess. 



This Report was presented on January 15, 1857, and contained 

 numerous suggestions^ one of which was " That the sum placed at 

 the disposal of the Royal Society for the advancement of science be 

 not necessarily limited to the annual Grant of 1000, when on any 

 occasion special reasons may be signed for an additional sum." No 

 such increase of the Grant was made, however, until nearly 20 years 

 later, when (on April 29, 1876) a letter was received from the Lord 

 President of the Council proposing " that further aid should be 

 given to research by according permission to the Government Grant 

 Committee to recommend in certain cases the payment of personal 

 allowances to gentlemen during the time they are engaged in their 



