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IV. On the north polar distances of the principal fixed stars. By 
John Brinkley, D. D. F. R. S. &c. Andrew’s Professor of 
Astronomy in the University of Dublin. 
Read December 18, 1823. 
The apparent disagreement of the Catalogues of North 
Polar distances of the fixed stars, as given by different as- 
tronomers, has lately excited considerable attention. Many 
persons may be induced to imagine, that the means of mak- 
ing observations are not in so perfect a state as has been 
supposed. 
The following examination of some important points re- 
lative to this subject, will, I hope, be deemed not unworthy 
of the notice of the Royal Society. 
A comparison of the North Polar distances of Mr. Pond 
and Mr. Bessel, with my own, may give occasion to some 
useful enquiries. It will give me an opportunity of stating 
the results of my researches relative to southern motion, to 
which my catalogues of 1813 and 1823 are, as is known, 
quite opposed. 
In discussing these subjects, I hope I shall be considered 
as searching after truth, not as handling a useless contro- 
versy, than which nothing can be more injurious to science. 
It will be necessary for me to enter into a considerable detail, 
I shall therefore briefly state the objects of the following en- 
quiries. 
