ON STEAM-SHIP PERFORMANCE. 27-3 



The names of the Members of the Committee are annexed. 

 Vice-Admiral Moorsom, Chairman. 

 The Marquis of Stafford, M.P. William Smith, C.E. 



The Earl of Caithness. James E. M'Ccnnell, C.E. 



The Lord Dufferin. Charles Atherton, C.E. 



Sir James Graham, Bart., M.P. Prof. Rankine, LL.D. 

 William Fairbairn, F.R.S. James R. Napier, C.E. 



John Scott Russell, F.R.S. Henry Wright, Secretary. 



James Kitson, C.E. 



II. 

 Memorial presented to the First Lord of the Admiralty. 

 The Memorial of the Committee of the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, called " The Committee on Steam-ship Performance." To 

 the Right Honourable Sir John S. Pakington, Bart., First Lord of the 

 Admiralty, 



Showeth — 

 That the Committee was appointed at the meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion at Leeds in September last; 



That their object is to obtain and make public through the Association 

 authentic facts of the performance of steam-vessels, with the conditions and 

 circumstances connected with such performances; 



That they are aware that each steam-vessel of the Royal Navy undergoes 

 a certain trial previous to being put in commission for service ; 



That a series of such trials from the year 1842 to 1850 was printed and 

 circulated, by which the cause of science was advanced and the public service 

 benefited ; 



That the Committee have also before them a second series of such trials up 

 to the year 1856, which, though printed, has not, as the Committee believe, 

 been yet made public ; 



That similar trials of vessels of the Merchant Service have been made 

 since the first introduction of steam power, and are continued to this day ; 



That such trials being made for the satisfaction of private persons, have 

 not been made public in any authentic form, and are not available for the 

 advancement of science nor for the public benefit; 



That the Committee have reason to believe that Steam-ship Companies, 

 Ship-builders, and Engineers will give publicity to the trials of their vessels, 

 through the instrumentality of the Committee, reasonable satisfaction being 

 given that such use shall be made of the information as may conduce to 

 advance science, and to the public benefit; 



That it would tend to the advancement of science, the improvement of 

 both vessels and engines, and to the great advantage of Her Majesty's Service, 

 if the trials of the Queen's ships were conducted on a more comprehensive 

 plan, directed to definite objects of practical utility on a scientific basis, 

 recorded in a uniform manner; 



That the Committee believe that exact experiments and scientific records 

 of performance, such as they are now contemplating, would lay the founda- 

 tion of improvements in Naval Architecture, so that for the future it would 

 be practicable to build ships, whether for the Royal Navy or Merchant Ser- 

 vice, possessing high speed, great capacity, small draught of water, economy 

 of power, and all the qualities which constitute a good sea-going ship, with 

 much greater certainty than heretofore, and the Committee are prepared to 

 advise and, if desired, to conduct such experiments; 



That the Committee solicit an interview with the First Lord of the Admi- 

 1859. t 



