RECOMMEN'DATIONS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE. XXxix 



Report of the Parliamentary Committee to the Meeting of the British 

 Association at Manchester, in September 1861. 



The Parliamentary Committee have the honour to report : — 



That on the 19th of July they met the Steam Performance Committee, by 

 appointment, at the Admiralty, and had, in company with the Members of 

 that Committee, an interview with the Duke of Somerset. 



That in the course of that interview the Chairman of your Committee 

 shortly explained the motives which had induced the British Association to 

 appoint the Steam Performance Committee, and called upon Mr, Fairbairn, 

 who thereupon stated and explained the principal suggestions contained in 

 the Report of the Steam Performance Committee, which had been prepared 

 and agreed upon, and will be presented to this Meeting ; and urged upon 

 His Grace the expediency of carrying them into effect. 



The Duke of Somerset, in reply, stated certain objections which he en- 

 tertained to some of the suggestions, founded chiefly upon the circumstances 

 that suflicient time could not be allowed for the various experiments con- 

 sistently with the interests of the service, and that the ships of the Royal 

 Navy only employed steam occasionally, and only as an auxiliary power ; 

 but His Grace was understood to agree to supply such information to the 

 scientific public as could be done without improperly interfering with the 

 performance of ordinary duties. 



The Dukes of Devonshire and Argyll, the Earls of Enniskillen, Har- 

 rowby, Rosse and De Grey, Lord Stanley and Sir John Pakington, must be 

 considered as having vacated their seats in your Committee, in pursuance of 

 the resolution adopted at Liverpool in 1854 ; but your Committee recommend 

 that they should be re-elected. Your Committee also recommend that 

 the two vacancies in the House of Commons List be filled by the election of 

 Sir Joseph Paxton and Lieut.-Col. Sykes. 



Wrottesley, Chairman. 



recomme>fdations adopted bt the general committee at the 

 Manchester Meeting in September 1861. 



[When Committees are appointed, the Member first named is regarded as the Secretary of 

 the Committee, except there be a specific nomination.] 



Involving Grants of Money. 



That the sum of £500 be appropriated, under the sanction of the Council, 

 for maintaining the Establishment at Kew. 



That the sum of £4'0 be placed at the disposal of the Kew Committee for 

 the employment of the Photo-heliometer. 



That the cooperation of the Royal Society be requested in obtaining a 

 series of photographic pictures of the Solar Surface; and that the sum of 

 £150 be placed at the disposal of the Kew Committee for the purpose. 



That Professor Airy, Lord Wrottesley, Sir D. Brewster, Col. Sykes, Sir 

 J. Herschel, General Sabine, Dr. Lloyd, Admiral FitzRoy, Dr. Lee, Dr. Ro- 

 binson, Mr. Gassiot, Mr. Glaisher, Dr. Tyndall, and Dr. W. A. Miller be 

 requested to form a Balloon Committee ; and that the sum of £200 be placed 

 at their disposal for the purpose. 



That Professor Williamson, Professor Wheatstone, Professor W. Thomson, 

 Professor Miller (of Cambridge), Dr. Matthiessen, and Mr. F. Jenkin be a 



