Minutes of Proceedings. 33 



gentlemen, and consider the views and suggestions they may put for- 

 ward, and report the same to the Council of the Academy, with such 

 observations as they may deem expedient ; but not to take part in any 

 joint expression of opinion.' 



" I am instructed to add that the Council of the Academy does not 

 wish to be understood as entertaining with favour any proposal which 

 would contemplate a restriction of the sphere of the Academy's opera- 

 tions, or would involve a radical change in its constitution. 

 " I am, my dear Sir, 



^ ' Yours faithfully, 



"John K, Ingram, 

 " Secretanj of Council, R. I. A. 

 ^* Geoege Johnstone Stoney, Esq., P. E. S., 

 " Secretary, Royal Dublin Society.'''' 



[S] 



" EoTAL Dublin Society, 



" Ejxdahe-Steeet, 



" 19th April, 1877. 

 ''My deae See, 



" I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th inst., 

 containing a copy of a Eesolution passed by the Council of the Eoyal 

 Irish Academy in reference to the invitation of the Council of the 

 Eoyal Dublin Society, contained in my letter of the 6th inst., request- 

 ing the Council of the Academy to sanction a conference of Commit- 

 tees of the two Societies, for the purpose of ascertaining whether 

 conjoint action can be recommended to both Societies in reference to 

 the two propositions contained in my letter. 



"The Eesolution of the Council of the Eoyal Irish Academy in 

 effect empowers the President and Science Committee of the Academy 

 to receive the Members of the Eoyal Dublin Society named in my let- 

 ter, only as a Deputation. 



"As this Eesolution appears to have been based upon a misconcep- 

 tion of the nature of the invitation which the Council of the Eoyal 

 Dublin Society had instructed me to make, I am directed to explain 

 that the object of the invitation was to elicit the opinion of a body of 

 scientific men representing the Academy and the Eoyal Dublin Society, 



B. I. A. MIXL'TES, SESSION 1877-8. fSl 



