54 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 



the administration of the Observatory was the following resolution 

 adopted at the Manchester Meeting in June, 1842 : — 



" That Professor Wheatstone, Professor Daniell, and Mr. Snow 

 Harris be- a Committee for constructing a self-recording 

 meteorological apparatus to be employed in the building at 

 Kew, recently placed by Her Majesty the Queen at the dis- 

 posal of the British Association, with the sum of 50Z. at their 

 disposal for the purpose. 



" Also that the sum of 2001. be placed at the disposal of the 

 Council for upholding the establishment in the Kew Observa- 

 tory." 



In the volume for the next year, 1843, we have the Report of a 

 Committee, consisting of Professor Wheatstone, Mr. Hutton, the 

 General Secretary (Colonel Sabine), and Treasurer (Mr. John Taylor), 

 appointed by the Council to superintend the establishment of meteoro- 

 logical observations at the Kew Observatory. And at the close of 

 the first year the Council report the establishment of the following 

 registries, viz. : — 



"1. An ordinary meteorological record with standard instruments 

 made by Mr. Galloway under the superintendence of Professor 

 Wheatstone. 



"2. A meteorological record with self -registering instruments on 



a new construction by Professor Wheatstone. 

 " 3. A record of the electrical state of the atmosphere. 



" Mr. Ronalds' name now appears in connexion with the electrical 

 records, and for the next nine years he acted as Hon. Superintendent. 



It is evident that the action of the Council in taking charge of the 

 Observatory was criticised at an early date, for from the Report of 

 the Meeting at Southampton, 1846, we learn that the expediency of 

 discontinuing Kew had been referred to the Council at the previous 

 Meeting, as will be seen by the following extract of a Report from 

 the Council presented to the general Committee, September 9, 1846. 



The General Committee at Cambridge having passed a resolution — 



" That it be referred to the Council to take into consideration 

 before the next Meeting of the Association the expediency of 

 discontinuing the Kew Observatory," 



the Council appointed a Committee, consisting of the President (Sir 

 John Herschel), the Dean of Ely, the Astronomer Royal, Professors 

 Graham and Wheatstone, and Lieut. -Colonel Sabine, to collect infor- 

 mation on the scientific purposes which the Kew Observatory has 

 served, and on its general usefulness to science and to the Association, 

 from whom they received the following Report : — 



" Kew Observatory, May 7, 1846. Present, Sir J. F. W. Herschel, 



