xlviii REPOKT — 1871. 



Through, the munificence of Mr, Gassiot, tlicrefore, tho Association can, 

 ^yithout detriment to science, give up possession of the Kcw Observatory at 

 once instead of in 1872, as -was originally contemplated. Your Council 

 accordingly recommend that Government should be informed without 

 further delay of the desire of the Association to see the direction and 

 maintenance of the Kew Observatory transferred to the Roj-al Society. 



Second Resolution. — " That the Council be empowered to cooperate with 

 the Eoyal and Eoyal Astronomical Societies, in the event of a new appli- 

 cation being made to Government to aid in the observation of the Solar 

 Eclipse of December 1870." 



On the 4tli November a Joint Committee of the Royal and Royal Astro- 

 nomical Societies decided to make a second application; on the 5th of 

 November your Council selected a few of their body to accompany the new 

 deijutation to Government which the above two Societies had resolved to 

 send. The necessity for any such deputation was subscqiiently obviated 

 through the intervention of private individuals, and, as is well known, aid 

 was promptly and liberally granted by Government to the Eclipse Ex- 

 pedition. 



Third Resolution. — " That the Council be requested to take such steps as 

 they deem wisest, in order to urge upon Government the importance of 

 introducing scientific instruction into the elementary schools throughout the 

 country." 



A Committee of your Council having considered the subject, recommended 

 the appointment of a deputation to wait upon the Lord President of tho 

 Council in order to i;rge upon him the desirability of including elementary 

 natural science amongst the subjects for which payments are made by the 

 authority of the Revised Code. The Council accordingly formed themselves 

 into a deputation, and on the 13tli of December 1870 had an interview with 

 the Right Hon. "W. E. Eorstcr, M.P., Vice-rresident of the Committee of 

 Council on Education, who was pleased to express his concurrence with tho 

 objects of the deputation and his willingness to carry out those objects so far 

 as circumstances would permit. 



Fourth Resolution. — " That tho Council of the British. Association be 

 authorized, if it should appear to be desirable, to urge upon Her Majesty's 

 Government the expediency of jn-oposing to the legislature a measure to 

 insure the introduction of the metric system of weights and measures for 

 international purposes." 



The Council deemed it expedient to postpone the consideration of this 

 resolution. 



Fifth Resolution. — " That it is inexpedient that new institutions, such as 

 the proposed Engineering College for India, should be established by Govern- 

 ment, until the Royal Commission now holding an inquiry into the relation 

 of the State to scientific instriictiou shall have issued their report. That the 

 Council of the British Association be requested to consider this opinion, and, 

 should they see fit, to urge it upon the attention of Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment." 



The Committee appointed without loss of time to consider and report on 

 this resolution were informed at their first meeting tliat the arrangements 

 for the establishment of the College had been virtually completed. Your 

 President, however, in accordance with the wishes of this Committee, entered 

 into unofiicial communication with tlic authorities at the India Office, relative 

 to the proposed examination for entrance into the new Engineering College, 

 and succeeded thereby in gaining for natural science, as compared with 



