t82 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



I shall now proceed to the more serious charge — the asserted 

 " transfer of between three and four hundred pounds from the funds 

 of the Royal Society into his [Sir H. Davy's] own pocket "*. This 

 charge, according to Mr. Babbage's statement, is founded on the 

 facts (and I do not question their accuracy) that the late Mr. Mur- 

 ray purchased for 500 guineas the copyright of the President's Dis- 

 courses, which were published at the request of the Council f, and 

 that the Council, at a meeting held on the 31st of December, 1826, 

 " Resolved, that 500 copies of the President's Discourses about to be 

 printed by Mr. Murray be purchased by the Society at the usual 

 trade price." At that meeting the President was in the chair ; the 

 members present were Captain Beaufort, Messrs. Brown, Children, 

 Gilbert, and Herschel, Sir E. Home, Captain Kater, Drs. Pearson, 

 Prout, and Young. Mr. Babbage, in commenting on the transac- 

 tion, exculpates Mr. Murray ; the gravamen of the charge he lays 

 on the President and the Council — he for selling the copyright of 

 his Discourses (which he certainly had a right to do) and the Council 

 for ordering the purchase of the copies at a cost of £381 5s. 



Mr. Babbage states that in the following year, when he was on 

 the Council, he inquired why the "Resolution of Council" above 

 named was passed ; and that Dr. Young's reply was, that it was 

 " in order to induce Mr. Murray to print the President's speeches." 



It would appear from the wording of the resolution, that, previous 

 to its passing, Mr. Murray had undertaken to publish the Discourses ; 

 nor does it appear that there was any previous promise ? Be that 

 as it may, the Council was responsible for their act. 



I have recently applied to Mr. John Murray, the son of the late 

 Mr. Murray, for information on the subject : he has courteously re- 

 plied, stating his regret that the only information he can give is 

 contained in a schedule which he annexed, specifying the date of the 

 publication and the results — he adding that all his search after letters 

 and copies of letters which may have passed has proved fruitless. 

 From this document, of which the subjoined J is a copy, it would 



* Op. cit. p. 189. 



+ See advertisement to the ' Discourses ' by their author. 

 X " Sir H. Davy's Discourses, published by Mr. Murray in January 1827. 

 500 guineas paid by Mr. Murray to Sir H. Davy for the copyright. 

 850 copies printed, the cost of which (including the sum paid for the 

 copyright) was £142 As. 5d. 



£ s. d. 

 500 copies sold to the Royal Society at the trade price, 



15s. 3d .381 5 



25 sent out as presents from Sir II. Davy, according to his 



- list. 



11 to Stationers' Hall. 



152 copies sold at Mr. Murray's Annual sale 92 9 4 



71 various, for 49 19 11 



91 wasted, producing 2 



Eventual loss to Mr. Murray 216 10 2 



"850 ^742 4 5" 



