162 
PROCEEDINGS OF 
[Feb. 
accurate observation of meteorological phenomena at the several mili¬ 
tary and naval posts, and that they report their proceedings at the 
next regular meeting of the Institution. 
Mr. Bulfinch, from the committee, made a report upon Mr. D’Arcy 
A. French’s communication on grammar. 
Mr. Lawrence reported upon the Treasurer’s accounts for the year 
1841. 
Mr. Greenhow, from the Department of Astronomy and Natural 
Philosophy, reported : 
That the Department recommends for publication in the transactions of the So¬ 
ciety, the Meteorological Journal kept at the Observatory in Washington, by Lieut. 
Gilliss, for the months of September, October, and November, 1841; as, also the 
list of the observations of the mean declination of the magnetic needle, and the 
heights of the thermometer, and barometer, for each of the magnetic hours during 
July, August, September, October, November, and December, 1840, as observed by 
Lieut. Gilliss, at the observatory in Washington. 
That the Department having examined the letter addressed to the Institution, by 
Mr. J. H. Belcher, on the 10th January, 1842, and the accompanying memorial, 
“ calling the attention of the Members of the House of Representatives of the 27th 
Congress to the great importance of a precise determination of the longitudes of 
the principal stations and posts in the United States,” and recommending that 
Congress should order at a moderate expense, “ the collection, reduction and gen¬ 
eral discussion of the observations now available for that purpose,” reports : 
That although it fully concurs with the letter and memorial, as to the importance 
of having the longitudes of the principal cities, naval stations, and posts, in the 
United States accurately determined, it nevertheless conceives that any measures on 
the part of the Institution for the attainment of that object in the manner proposed 
by the letter and memorial, would be premature, inasmuch as observations have 
been and are now being made in different parts of the United States, under the direc¬ 
tion of the Navy Department, in connection with those also in progress by the offi¬ 
cers and others in the squadron engaged in exploring the Pacific and Southern 
oceans, from all which observations, after they shall have been brought together, 
computations will be made, and the results published under the auspices of the Navy 
Department. These results will then be compared with each other, and with those 
obtained at the principal observatories in Europe, and there can be no doubt that the 
differences in longitude between the various points of observation on both sides of 
our continent, and in Europe, will be thus determined with much accuracy. 
Mr. Greenhow, from the same Department, made a report on 
Professor W. H. C. Bartlett’s paper on Observatories. 
Mr. Markoe made the following report on the subject of Ex¬ 
changes : 
