" The Council decided that the proposal was not suffi- 

 ciently explicit, and ' Resolved, that Mr. Petrie be allowed 

 to substitute the following : 



"'29th June, 1840. 

 " ' I propose to publish, at my own expense, my Essay on 

 the Round Towers, as the twentieth volume of the Transac- 

 tions, on condition that the Academy take from me 450 

 copies, at the rate of thirty shillings per copy ; the expense 

 already incurred by the Academy for engravings to be de- 

 ducted from the £675 to be paid for the 450 copies. It is, 

 of course, understood, that the blocks for woodcuts are my 

 property. 



" * Signed, George Petrie.' 



* Resolved, that the proposal in the latter form be adopted.' 

 " From this it appears, that the Council, in 1840, had 

 alienated to Mr. Petrie the copyright of the Essay for which 

 £50 had been paid, and a Gold Medal adjudged, in 1832 ! 

 And further, had allowed that gentleman to print the work 

 for his own benefit, virtually at the expense of the Academy ; 

 for by the acceptance of the proposal of 29th June, 1 840, 

 the Council agreed to pay thirty shillings a copy for 450 

 copies of the volume, that being the selling price of the vo- 

 lumes of the Transactions, which amounts to £675, and in- 

 cludes the bookseller's profit, which may be estimated at least 

 at thirty-five per cent., thus making Mr. Petrie a present of 

 £234 135. 4d. of the Academy's money, which would pay 

 for a considerable edition for his own benefit, and which 

 they might have saved, by printing the work themselves. 

 It should here be observed, first, that it is contrary to the 

 laws of the Academy to return the manuscripts even of un- 

 successful competitors for prizes and medals, while they 

 claim as property all Essays read at their ordinary meetings, 

 and ordered to be printed ; and secondly, that the Council 

 have no power to expend more than twenty pounds, without 

 the consent of the Academy at large. 



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