REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. lxix 
‘The receipt of this was acknowledged, and the Council were informed 
that it would be duly considered by the Dominion Government. 
‘That the attention of the Council be drawn to the advisability of 
communicating with the Admiralty for the purpose of urging on them 
the importance of the employment of the Harmonic Analysis in the 
Reduction of Admiralty Tidal Observations.’ 
The above recommendation was duly considered, but the Council, 
while fully conscious of the importance of the subject, deemed the time 
inopportune for pressing the matter on the attention of the Admiralty. 
‘That the Council be requested to examine the feasibility of insti- 
tuting a scheme for promoting an International Scientific Congress, to meet 
at intervals in different countries, and to report thereon to the General 
Committee at the next meeting of the Association.’ 
This most important question has been very fully considered by the 
Council during the past year. The importance of such a Congress can 
hardly be doubted ; at the same time there are many serious difficulties in 
devising a practical scheme, and many considerations to be taken into 
account, before it would be prudent to undertake so great a departure 
from the ordinary procedure of the Association, as would be involved by 
‘such schemes as have seemed most feasible. The following is a brief 
history of what has been done: At the conclusion of the Montreal Meeting 
a Committee of the Council (of which Mr. Vernon Harcourt, the General 
Secretary, was a member) took the opportunity of being present at the 
meeting of the American Association at Philadelphia to confer with some 
members of the Committee in America, from whom the latest and most 
definite proposal of an International Scientific Association has emanated. 
After returning to England, a letter was received by Mr. Vernon Harcourt 
from Dr. 8. C. Minot, Secretary to the above Committee, which was laid 
before a Committee of the Council. As a result of their consideration of 
this letter, the Secretary entered into an informal correspondence with 
Dr. C. 8. Minot. The intent of this correspondence was to bring about 
an exchange of views and a discussion of certain difficulties which pre- 
sented themselves at first sight, and as it, in effect, contains the outline of 
a scheme, the Council (with Dr. Minot’s permission) have resolved to place 
it, together with extracts from his letter to Mr. Vernon Harcourt, in the 
hands of the General Committee. Copies of it are accordingly distributed 
with this Report. The Council, in the next place, deemed it desirable to 
ascertain what support the proposal of a joint meeting of the British 
ae oo 
Association and of the International Scientific Association, in the suggested 
rudimentary form, would meet with from the more important scientific 
societies in London ; for, without their favourable countenance and the 
permission to use the rooms of such as were conyeniently situated, the 
project would necessarily be abortive. A circular was accordingly ad- 
dressed to a number of the London scientific societies, with the result 
that out of 29 societies which sent answers, three expressed their inability, 
im consequence of formal difficulties, to reply at present; two were 
opposed to the scheme; five were favourable; and the rest were not 
hostile. It should, however, be remarked, that while a willingness to 
lend rooms was very generally shown, any approbation of the scheme was 
expressed in very guarded terms, and amounted, in the majority of cases, 
to little more than a non-expression of disapproval. In these circum- 
stances the Council invite the General Committee to take the matter into 
