XXXV111 REPORT — 1860. 



ment of Science ; but Mr. Hamilton has omitted altogether to refer to the 

 interview which took place between the President of the British Association 

 and Sir Charles Trevelyan subsequent to that communication, viz. on the 

 18th of December, 1858, when Sir Charles Trevelyan stated that ' if a single 

 station for magnetical and meteorological observations were applied for [in- 

 timating Pekin as its locality] by the Joint Committee of the Royal Society 

 and the British Association, My Lords would be disposed to comply with 

 such application.' (See Report of the Council of the British Association, 

 September 1859.) 



"Political events which became known shortly after that interview made 

 it manifestly unadvisable to apply for a station in China ; but the scientific 

 importance of procuring systematic magnetical researches at other stations 

 which had been named in the original application from two Societies, in parts 

 of the globe which were conveniently accessible and under British dominion, 

 remained as before. In these respects Vancouver Island was unobjectionable, 

 and was therefore substituted for 'a station in China' in the application, 

 which, consistently with Sir Charles Trevelyan's communication of the 18th 

 December, 1858, was made by the Joint Committee of the two Societies. The 

 confident expectations thus founded being known in the United States by 

 the publications of the Reports of the Joint Committee of the Royal Society 

 and British Association, the Government of the United States authorized the 

 establishment of Magnetical Observatories at a station on the east side of the 

 United States, and at another on the south coast, both designed to cooperate 

 with the British Observatory to be established on Vancouver Island ; the three 

 stations being obviously remarkably well selected for systematic researches 

 over that large portion of the globe. The two observatories of the United 

 States' Government have been established, and commenced their work at 

 the beginning of the present year. 



" In reference to the aggregate amount of expenditure incurred by the 

 magnetical researches recommended to Government by the Royal Society 

 and British Association in the last twenty years, it may be remarked that, the 

 researches being altogether of a novel character, the continuance of the 

 Observatories, when first asked for in 1839, was for a very limited period. 

 It was, in fact, an experiment, and their longer continuance would not have 

 been recommended had not the experiment proved eminently successful, and 

 such as to justify the prosecution of the researches. The subject was there- 

 fore brought afresh under the consideration of Government in 1845 and again 

 in 1849, and the further expenditure to be incurred received the sanction of 

 the Treasury on both occasions, as have also, on other occasions, the magnetie 

 surveys connected with the Observatories. It is possible that the aggregate 

 amount of expenditure thus sanctioned and incurred may not be overstated 

 at £50,000. It is an average amount not exceeding £2500 a year for this 

 great branch of physical science. 



" I am not myself the proper authority to say whether the gain to science, 

 and to the estimation in scientific respects in which this country is held by 

 other nations, be, or be not, an equivalent for this expenditure; but I may be 

 permitted to refer to the opinion expressed by the Joint Committee of the 

 two Societies, consisting, as is well known, of persons holding high places in 

 public estimation for their general knowledge and good judgment, as well 

 as possessing the highest scientific eminence: — ' Your Committee, looking at 

 this long catalogue of distinct and positive conclusions already obtained, feel 

 themselves fully borne out in considering that the operation, in a scientific 

 point of view, has proved, so far, eminently remunerative and successful, and 

 that its results have fully equalled in importance and value, as real accessions 



