48 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 



The report called for was read on February 10, 1842, and was as 

 follows : — 



" The Sub- Committee report that, from the peculiar restrictions as 

 to access and inhabitancy, and other circumstances affecting the pro- 

 posed grant of the Kew Observatory to the Royal Society, they do not 

 consider that any regular and systematic course of physical observa- 

 tions at present devisable could be therein advantageously made by 

 the Society, or by any observer under their immediate appointment 

 and direction ; but that nevertheless they consider that such a build- 

 ing so held might, if occupied for safe custody by a proper person, be 

 highly available for many useful scientific purposes, which have long 

 been desiderata as part of the establishment at Somerset House ; such 

 as, among others, the following : — 



"1. As a depository of instruments and other property of the Royal 

 Society, either not in use, or for which, for general or special reasons, 

 Somerset House may not be regarded by the Council as an advan- 

 tageous place of deposit. 



" 2. As a station for occasional observation and comparison of 

 pendulums, either returned from abroad, or about to proceed on 

 voyages, as also for affording foreigners wishing to compare pendulums 

 an opportunity of so doing. 



" 3. As a station for trial and comparison of magnetical apparatus, 

 and affording to observers desirous of acquiring a knowledge of the 

 nature and use of such apparatus, an opportunity for conveniently 

 doing so, and of obtaining a practical knowledge of the system of 

 magnetical observation recommended by the Society. 



" 4. As a station in which many occasional phenomena might be 

 advantageously observed by Fellows of the Society, or others, on 

 permission obtained from the President and Council, such as, for 

 example, concerted observations of shooting-stars, &c, or in which the 

 phenomena of what has been called ' magnetic storms,' or unusual mag- 

 netic disturbances might be witnessed, and their particulars attended 

 to by observers desirous of so doing, without interfering with obser- 

 vations regularly in progress at official stations, or with a view to 

 other circumstances in their phenomena than what may be ordinarily 

 observed at such stations ; it being considered that such ' storms ' are 

 sometimes of considerable duration, and may become known to exist 

 by direct communication from Greenwich or other regular observing 

 station. 



"5. As a proper place for the trial of physical apparatus and 

 occasional physical experiments, for which no convenience exists at 

 Somerset House; such as may either be proposed by scientific 

 committees, or be undertaken by individuals, on permission duly 

 obtained from the President and Council. 



" 6. As a proper place for the comparison of standards of every 



