[ 5 ° J 
For, during the confideration of that bufinefs, 
feme doubts having arifen in my mind, with regard 
to the propriety of points , which were propofed to 
terminate the top of each conductor ; and thofe 
doubts being founded upon experiments and obfer- 
vations, I could not confidently fubferibe to that 
report, nor fupprefs my opinion, on a fubjedt of fuch 
importance. 
Whatever may be the fentiments of others re- 
fpedting thofe doubts, yet, they being the refult of my 
mature confideration, I thought it my duty to pro- 
pofe them to the committee ; and further to exprefs 
my difTent, in writing, to that particular part of their 
report : giving, at the fame time, fome of the prin- 
cipal reafons for fuch difTent ; and referring them, 
for further fatisfadtion on this fubjedt, to a letter 
which is already publifhed in the Tranfadtions of the 
Royal Society. 
As that difTent is the origin of this paper, a copy 
of it is here inferted. See page 48 of this Volume. 
Agreeable to the declaration at the end of the 
above difTent, I fhall now proceed to offer my fur- 
ther reafons for objedting to pointed conductors. 
Experience, which is our belt guide in all phy- 
fical enquiries, but particularly in electrical ones, 
every day convinces me, that we know but little of 
that lubtile fluid, which operates fo fecretly , and at 
the fame time fo powerfully, upon the earth, and 
its atmofphere I confefs that I am even now lefs 
acquainted with the principle of its adtion, than I 
thought I was twenty years ago : the fmallejt dif- 
ferences 
