GRANT FOR SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS 285 



4 A. Royal Society. 



Grant for Scientific Investigations undertaken with tlu- sanction of 

 a Committee appointed for the purpose.' 



The question of detailed vouchers was authoritatively settled by the above- 

 quoted letter, dated March 24, 1882, a decision which was confirmed by 

 a letter dated May 7, 1885. 



The constitution of the Government Grant General Committee undr- 

 new scheme was identical with that of the Government Fund Committee 

 which it superseded, but the Sub-Committees under this *rhrm.- were 

 rearranged. The Code of Regulations adopted at this time was amended 

 and consolidated on December 6, 1883. In 1888 the Regulations were again 

 under consideration, and on July 5 of that year a code was adopted, and com- 

 municated to Her Majesty's Treasury, by whom it was approved. 



In the letter accompanying this code, the Royal Society drew the attention 

 of the Treasury to the fact that, whereas in 1882 their Ixwdships had laid it 

 down that ' no excessive balance was to be accumulated over a series of years \ 

 the Secretary of the Treasury had in 1885 stated, in answer to an appeal for 

 a Grant in aid of observing the Solar Eclipse of 1886, that ' My Lords dcMrc 

 to keep State aid to scientific investigations as much as possible within the 

 limits of the ^4,000 per annum annually placed by Parliament at the 

 disposal of the Government Grant Committee of the Royal Society '. The 

 Secretary of the Royal Society explained that it was in consequence of the 

 desire thus expressed by their Lordships that it was now proposed to establish 

 a Reserve Fund, not at any time to exceed ^2,000. The Secretary further drew 

 attention to the substitution of several relatively small Boards for the previous 

 large Sub-Committees; to the rule admitting extended Grants; to the 

 special precautions under which personal Grants would be made, and which 

 their Lordships would probably consider obviated the necessity of submitting 

 each Grant for their Lordships' approval ; and to the additions of the ex- 

 officio list. 



In 1894 the Council at the instance of the General Committee asked Her 

 Majesty's Treasury to increase the amount of the Grant, but without success. 



Amendments have been made from time to time in the Regulations since 

 1888. In March 1894 Instructions for the Government Grant Boards, and 

 in February 1895 Instructions for a Committee appointed for the purpose of 

 administering a Grant, were drawn up. 



On June 23, 1901, new Regulations were made as to the audit of the 

 accounts, the sale of apparatus, or its presentation to the National Physical 

 Laboratory. Owing to a difficulty which arose when it became necessary to 

 initiate legal proceedings against a grantee, an alteration was made, on May 

 19, 1904, with the approval of H.M. Treasury, making it clear that the 

 administration of the Fund was placed in the hands of the Royal Society, the 

 functions of the Government Grant Committee being limited to the selection 



