REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 



EEPOET OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE OBSERVATORY 

 COMMITTEE OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE 



OF VICTORIA. 



Adopted by the Observatory Committee, and received at the General 

 Meeting of the Institute, held on the 7th of December, 1857. 



Me. Pbesident and Gentlemen, 



The Committee was appointed to wait on Her Majesty's Go- 

 vernment, and take such other steps as they might deem necessary 

 to promote the establishment of an Astronomical, Magnetical and 

 Meteorological Observatory, on a scale commensurate with the im- 

 portance of the colony. 



The Committee, having discussed the subject at several meetings, 

 agreed to the following Memorial, which was presented to the Hon. 

 the Chief Secretary, on the 24th November last. 



MEMOEIAL. 



Sie — Towards the end of last year a Committee of the Philosophical 

 Institute had the honor of drawing the attention of Her Majesty's 

 Government to the great service which would be rendered to Astro- 

 nomical Science by the establishment of an Observatory provided 

 with a reflecting telescope of large optical power for the examination 

 of the nebulae of the Southern Hemisphere. 



In the memorial presented on that occasion, a copy of which is 

 appended, the interest attaching to this branch of investigation was 

 set forward, and the general nature of the work to be done. 



We have now the honor to renew the recommendation, and in 

 doing so we beg to lay before you, more in detail, the nature of the 

 arrangements which it is desirable to carry out, and an estimate of 

 the probable expense. 



For the Astronomical work the instruments required are — 



First, a reflecting telescope, with mirror of four feet aperture, 

 mounted equatorially, with clockwork movement ; this instrument, 



