REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. xlvi 



SECTION G. MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 



President. — Professor Fleeiuing Jenkin, C.E., F.R.S. 



Vice-Presidents.— J. F. Bateman, F.R.S. ; Admiral Sir E. Belcher, K.C.B. ; F. J. 

 Bramwell, O.E. ; Peter Le Neve Foster, M.A. ; Professor W. J. Rankine, 

 LL.D., F.R.S. ; C. W. Siemens, D.C.L., F.R.S. ; Thomos Stevenson, F.R.S.E, ; 

 Professor James Thomson, LL.I). 



Secretaries. — H. Bauerman, F.G.S. ; Alexander Leslie, C.E. ; J. P. Smith, C.E. 



Report of the Council for the Year 1870-71, presented to the General 

 Committee at Edinburgh, on Wednesday, August 2nd, 1871. 



At each of their meetings during the past year the Council have as usual 

 received a report froii the General Treasurer, as well as one from the Kew 

 Committee. A resume of these Reports wiU be laid before the General 

 Committee this day. 



The Council have had under their consideration the several resolutions, five 

 in number, referred to them by the General Committee at Liverpool. They 

 beg to report as follows upon the action they have taken in each case : — 



First Resolution — " That the discontinuance of the maintenance of Kew 

 Observatory by the British Association having been determined on, the 

 President and Council be authorized to communicate with the President and 

 Council of the Royal Society, and with the Government, so that the future 

 use of the buildings may in 1872 be placed at the disposal of the Royal 

 Society, in case the Royal Society should desire it, under the same con- 

 ditions as those buildings are at present held by the British Association." 



A copy of this resolution was forwarded by direction of your Council 

 to the President and Council of the Royal Society. The following is the 

 reply which one of your General Secretaries has received from Dr. Sharpey, 

 Secretary of the Royal Society : — 



" The Eoyal Society, Burlington House, 

 July 8, 1871. 



" Deab De. Hibst, — In reply to your letter of the 10th December, 1870, 

 enclosing a copy of a resolution of the General Committee of the British 

 Association relative to the future occupation of the buildings at Kew now 

 held by the British Association, I am directed to acquaint you that the 

 President and Council of the Royal Society are ready to take possession of 

 the Observatory at Kew on the terms it is at present held from Her Majesty's 

 Government, as stated in a letter dated 26th March 1842, addressed to the 

 President of the British Association from the Office of Woods, &c., viz. : — 

 ' during the pleasure and upon the conditions usual on sach occasions, that 

 no walls shall be broken through, and no alterations made that can afi'ect 

 the stability of the building, and alter its external appearance, without the 

 previous sanction of the Board of Works.' I have further to acquaint you 

 that the President and Council have appointed a Standing Committee of 

 Fellows of the Royal Society for the management of the Kew Observatory 

 in accordance with the terms of the Gassiot Trust, consisting of the following 

 gentlemen : — 



Mr. Warren De La Rue. 

 Mr. Francis Galton. 

 Mr. Gassiot. 

 Admiral Richards. 



Sir Edward Sabine. 

 Colonel Smythe. 

 Mr. Spottiswoode. 

 Sir Charles Wheatstone. 



and that .£600 from the income of the Gassiot Fund has been placed at the 

 disposal of that Committee to meet the expenses of the establishment for the 

 ensuing year. " I remain, yours very truly, 



(Signed) " W. Shaepey, M.D., Secretary B. S." 



