Proceedings of the British Association. 283 



given rise, which it was improper to grant, but difficult and painful 

 to refuse, has tended to confirm my own impression, not merely of 

 the wisdom of these important rules, but likewise the almost impe- 

 rative necessity of adhering to them. 



It was at the memorable meeting of the Association at Newcastle, 

 a period of great financial prosperity, that it was resolved to recom- 

 mend and to undertake a very extensive system of astronomical re- 

 ductions and catalogues : the first was the republication, under a 

 greatly extended and much more complete form, of the Astronomical 

 Society's catalogue, exhibiting the latest and most accurate results 

 of astronomical observation, reduced to a common epoch, with the 

 permanent co-efficients for their reduction, which the Nautical 

 Almanac does not supply. The second was the reduction of all the 

 stars in the Histoire Celeste of Lalande, nearly 47,000 in number, 

 containing the most complete record which existed 60 years ago of 

 the results of observation, and affording, therefore, an interval of 

 time so considerable, as to enable astronomers, by comparing them 

 with their positions as assigned by modern observations, to determine 

 their proper motions and other minute changes, almost independently 

 of the errors of observation : a third, was a similar reduction of stars 

 in the Ccelum Stelli-ferum Australe, of Lacaille, 8700 in number, 

 which had assumed an unusual degree of importance from the recently 

 completed survey of the southern hemisphere by Sir John Herschel, 

 and the establishment of observatories at Paramatta and the Cape. 



Another work of still greater expense and labour, was the reduc- 

 tion and publication of the Planetary and Lunar Observations at 

 Greenwich, from the time of Bradley downwards, which was under- 

 taken by the Government at the earnest application of a committee of 

 the Association appointed for that purpose, and acting in conjunction 

 with the Royal Society. This great undertaking has been nearly 

 brought to a conclusion under the systematic and vigilant superin- 

 tendence of the Astronomer-Royal. 



The publication of these works must form a great epoch in astro- 

 nomy ; and though the expense to which it has exposed the Associa- 

 tion has been very considerable, and will amount, when completed, to 

 nearly 3000/., yet it cannot fail to prove a durable monument of the 

 salutary influence which it has exercised upon the progress of science. 



