416 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Dec. 1. 



results are already before you in the "Philosophical Transactions" 

 and ''' Proceedings," and others may be expected to follow. These and 

 similar publications by other scientific societies mnst serve as the 

 main basis for forming a judgment of the value of the grants in 

 question, and especially of that which is technically known as the 

 " Go vernment Fund." But -whatever be the final verdict on this 

 head, I feel sure that there will be but one opinion as to the impar- 

 tiality and judgment with which the Committees, to which the matters 

 were referred, have discharged their onerous duties. TTe are now 

 entering the fourth of the five years to which, as will be remembered, 

 the Treasury limited the term of the experiment. It is. therefore, 

 desirable that the minds, not only of the Council, but also of the 

 Fellows generally, should during the present year be turned to the 

 question, whether it is advisable, in the interests of Science, that the 

 Fund should be maintained: and if so. whether in its present or any 

 altered form ? 



(4.) Among the matters referred to by the Government two espe- 

 cially require mention. In November last the Secretary of State for 

 the Home Department addressed a letter to the President of the 

 Royal Society, in which, after alluding to the great sacrifice of life in 

 colliery accidents, he said, ' : I cannot help thinking that science may 

 once more come to our aid in this very practical question ; and I 

 gladly consult you. in the first instance, as to the best means of 

 obtaining further scientific information in the possession of scientific 

 men. likely to be of practical utility in the prevention of accidents in 

 mines." This letter was referred to a Committee, and on their recom- 

 mendation the Council directed a reply to be made to the Home 

 Secretary, suggesting an inquiry into the subjects (indicated some- 

 what in detail in the letter) bearing upon the causes of explosions in 

 coal mines, and upon their possible prevention. Acting on this letter, 

 Mr. Cross moved the appointment of a Royal Commission on the 

 subject, and requested the President and Council to nominate four 

 members, one of whom should act as Chairman of the Commission. 

 The Fellows nominated in accordance with this request were, Mr. 

 Warington Smyth as Chairman, Professor Abel, Professor Clifton, 

 and Professor Tyndall. The Commission is now actively engaged 

 upon the inquiry. 



In May last the Secretary of State for India asked the advice of 

 the Royal Society on the question of deputing to this country Major 

 J. Herschel on the subject of pendulum observations. The subject is 

 one in which the Royal Society has on more than one occasion taken 

 an active interest; and a reply, prepared by Professor Stokes, of 

 which the following is an extract, was sent : — " There are two in- 

 dependent methods by which a knowledge of the exact figure of the 

 earth may be arrived at ; one by measurement of arcs of the meridian, 



