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vigation, would imply that our Government is not alive either to 

 the interests or to the scientific character of the country, and would 

 show that we had little attended to the history, even in our own 

 times, of scientific research, which has been so liberally promoted 

 by the Government. Although the investigation of the phenomena 

 of terrestrial magnetism was not the primary object of the expedi- 

 tions which have now, almost uninterruptedly, for twenty years 

 been fitted out by Government,— - another of which, and one of the 

 highest interest, is on the point of departure, — yet a greater acces- 

 sion of observations of those phenomena has been derived from 

 these expeditions than from any other source in the same period. 

 We therefore feel assured that, when it shall have been represented to 

 the Government that the plan of observation advocated by the Baron 

 de Humboldt is eminently calculated to advance our knowledge of 

 the laws which govern some of the most interesting phenomena in 

 physical science ; it appears to be perhaps the only one by which 

 we can hope ultimately to discover the cause of these phenomena; 

 and that, from it, results highly important to navigation may be an- 

 ticipated—that the patronage to the undertaking which is so essen- 

 tial to its prosecution will be most readily accorded. We beg, there- 

 fore, most respectfully, but at the same time most earnestly, to re- 

 commend to His Royal Highness the President and to the Council, 

 that such a representation be made to the Government, in order that 

 means may be ensured for the establishment, in the first instance, 

 of magnetical observatories in those places which, from local or 

 other causes, afford the greatest facilities for the early commence- 

 ment of these observations. 



S. HUNTER CHRISTIE. 

 G. B. AIRY. 



9th June, 1836. 



November 30, 1836. 



At the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society, H.R.H. the 

 Duke of Sussex, K.G., President, in the Chair, 



William Hasledine Pepys, Esq., one of the Auditors on the part 

 of the Society, reported, that the balance in the Treasurer's hands at 

 the recent Audit was £533. 4s. lie/.: and that the statement of the 

 receipts and payments was laid on the table for the inspection of the 

 Fellows. 



The Thanks of the Society were voted to the Auditors for their 

 trouble in auditing the Treasurer's Accounts. 



The following Lists of the Fellows admitted, and of those deceased 

 during the past year, were read : 



Admitted. — George Biddell Airy, Esq., A.R. ; Robert Alexander, 

 Esq.; David Baillie, Esq. ; Richard Beamish, Esq.; George Budd, 

 A.B. and M. ; Major T. Seymour Burt; Edward Burton, Esq. ; Dr. 

 William Clark; John Green Cross, Esq.; Captain John James 

 Chapman, R.A. ; William Sands Cox, Esq.; George William 

 Drory, Esq. ; Charles Elliott, Esq. ; G. W. Featherstonhaugh, Esq. 5 



