41 
Ordinary Meeting, December 11th, 1866. 
Edward Schunck, Ph.D., F.R.S., &c., President, in the 
Chair. 
“ On the Recent Suspension, by the Board of Trade, of 
Cautionary Storm Warnings,” by Joseph Baxendell, 
F.R.A.S. 
On the 29th ult. a circular was issued by the Board of 
Trade, announcing that the “cautionary storm warnings,” 
which have from time to time been issued by the Meteoro- 
logical Department of the Board, would be suspended from 
the 7th day of December instant. This step, it appears, has 
been taken on the recommendation of the President and 
Council of the Royal Society, who are of opinion that “ at 
present these warnings are founded on rules mainly em- 
pirical, and therefore should not be issued under the super- 
intendence of the scientific body to whom the discussion of 
meteorological observations will be committed.” No attempt 
appears to have been made by the Board to ascertain the 
opinions and wishes of those classes of the community for 
whose benefit the system of issuing storm warnings was 
originated by the late Admiral Fitzroy. No complaints 
against the system, as carried out by the admiral, and since 
his death by Mr. Babington, have been made by those most 
deeply interested in its operation ; nor has any evidence been 
produced to show that it has led to loss or inconvenience. 
On the contrary it is very generally admitted that it has 
been the means of saving many valuable lives, and also an 
amount of property greatly exceeding in value the whole 
Proceedings — Lit. & Phil. Society. — Vol. YI. — No. 6 — Session 1866-7. 
