REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

Report of the Council for the year 1890–91, presented to the General Committee at Cardiff, on Wednesday, August 19, 1891.

The Council have received the usual Financial Reports from the General Treasurer, during the past year, and his account for the year 1890-91, which was audited on the 31st July will be presented to the General Committee

The Council were informed by Dr. Williamson in the early part of the year that he would be unable to allow himself to be nominated to the office of General Treasurer at the present meeting of the Association, and that, as he would not be able to attend the meeting at Cardiff, he wished to continue in office only until the commencement of that meeting.

Dr. Williamson was appointed to succeed Mr. Spottiswoode in the year 1874, and during this long period of seventeen years his wise and calm judgment has afforded the Council, on all occasions of difficulty, most valuable assistance.

The Council recommend that, in accordance with the wish expressed by Dr. Williamson, a successor to his office be appointed at this meeting, and they have much pleasure in recommending to the General Committee that Professor Arthur W. Rücker, M.A., F.R.S., be elected General Treasurer, and that he be requested to enter at once upon the duties of the office.

Lord Rayleigh, one of the Vice-Presidents elect, will not be able to attend the meeting. The Council recommend that Sir Robert Ball, Royal Astronomer of Ireland, be elected Vice-President.

The Council received a letter from the Board of Trade requesting them to appoint one or two members of a committee about to be formed for considering the standards for the measurement of the ohm, the ampère, and the volt. The Council appointed Professor G. Carey Foster and Mr. R. T. Glazebrook members of this committee.

The Council have elected the following Foreign Men of Science, who attended the last Meeting of the Association, Corresponding Members :

Prof. Brentano, Munich.

Prof. V. Dwelshauvers-Dery, Liège.

Prof. Mascart, Paris.

Prof. W. Ostwald, Leipzig.

Signor Maffeo Pantaleoni, Bari.

Dr. Otto Pettersson, Stockholm.
Mr. A. Lawrence Rotch, Readville,
Mass., U.S.A.

Prof. J. H. van't Hoff, Amsterdam.

An invitation to hold the Annual Meeting of the Association at Nottingham in the year 1893 has been received, and will be presented to the General Committee on Monday.

Resolutions referred to the Council for consideration and action if desirable :

(A) That the Council consider and report whether grants should be made from the funds of the Association for other than specific researches by specified individuals.'

The Council consider that grants should not be made to any single institution, or in support of a single object, for many years in succession. It must be distinctly understood that the aid given by the Association to any particular scientific institution or investigator must necessarily be limited and intermittent.

The Council are of opinion that grants in aid of research should not be made, except for specified subjects, and under such circumstances that satisfactory assurances can be given to the General Committee as to the person or persons by whom the research is to be carried out.

(B) That it is desirable that the question of publishing the papers more fully and expeditiously, and of adding reports of discussions, be considered by the

Council.'

The Council are informed that steps have been taken to insure a more expeditious publication of the Annual Report.

They do not recommend that papers should be published more fully; nor do they recommend that discussions should be published, excepting in special cases when this is strongly advocated by Sectional Committees, and approved of by the General Committee. They recommend that, in every such case, an arrangement be made by the General Officers for the proper editing of the discussion.

(C) That in the arrangement of the Journal it is desirable, in the interests of clearness and of ease of reference, to return to the old practice of printing first the papers to be read in the various Sections, then the papers read on the previous day in those Sections, and lastly the list of Sectional Officers and of the Committees.'

The Council recommend that the papers to be read in the various Sections be printed first, then the lists of the Committees, and lastly the papers read on the previous day, and that each page should have a suitable heading.

(D) That the Council be requested, if possible, to fix the date of each meeting two years before it is held, and to bear in mind that the middle or latter part of September is the time most convenient to many members of the Association.

The Council considered that it is not practicable to fix the date of the Annual Meeting two years before it is held. They recommend that information be obtained at as early a date as possible as to the times which are convenient to the town where a meeting is to be held, and that the authorities in such town be informed that the last fortnight in September is most generally convenient to academical and other important Sections of the members of the Association.

(E) That the hours at which the Sections and Committees meet be again con-sidered by the Council.'

The Council have requested the Organising Committees to propose to the Council times for the meetings of their respective Committees and Sections, and recommend that these proposals be adopted for the Cardiff Meeting as an experimental measure.

(F) That a general Index to the Reports of the Committees of the Association, and of all papers ordered to be printed in extenso, be published, and that the Council be authorised to spend such sums as may be necessary for the purpose.'

The Council resolved that the Index to the Annual Reports of the Association be continued from the year 1861 to 1890 inclusive, and that it consist of one part only. References to Abstracts of Papers will be printed in italics.

(G) That the Council urge upon the Government to take steps to hasten the completion of the Ordnance Survey, and to afford greater facilities for the purchase of the Survey Maps.'

The Council having ascertained that the maps of the Ordnance Survey are neither known to nor used by the public nearly to the extent they should be, considering their value and the vast sums of money which have been expended on their production, and that this neglect arises from various causes, chief among which are the very defective arrangements made for the sale of the maps to the public, the obsolete topography of a large portion of the Survey, and the want of legal authority for the boundaries shown by the maps, resolved to make to the Government the following suggestions, with a view to the removal of the present obstacles to the usefulness of the maps :

(1) That some modification be made in the present character of arrangements for the sale of the maps of the Ordnance Survey, whereby the maps may become more accessible to the public.

(2) That such additions be made to the Parliamentary grant for the Ordnance Survey as will enable the revision to be made more complete, and the arrears to be brought up to date within a reasonable time.

(3) That the boundaries and areas of the Ordnance Survey maps be made legal boundaries and areas in England and Scotland, as they already are in Ireland, so that they may form a basis for all valuation for local or imperial assessments.

This memorandum was communicated to the President of the Board of Agriculture, together with the following letter from the President of the Association :

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 22 Albemarle Street, London, W., March 11, 1891.

Sir, I have the honour to invite your consideration of the accompanying memorandum, conveying the conclusions of the Council of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, on the subject of representations made to them in the form of a resolution passed at the last Annual Meeting of the British Association, held at Leeds in 1890, relating to some points of importance connected with the Ordnance Survey and its value to Her Majesty's dominions generally.

I have to express the hope that you will feel disposed to invite the favourable consideration of Her Majesty's Government to the recommendations included in the memorandum in question, and to state that, should you desire any further information upon the subjects to which these recommendations relate, the Council of the British Association will be happy to arrange for a deputation to wait upon you for the purpose of affording you such additional information.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,
(Signed) F. A. ABEL, President.

The following reply from the Board of Agriculture has been received:

:

Board of Agriculture, March 14, 1891.

Sir, I am directed by Mr. Chaplin to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th inst., forwarding a memorandum on the Ordnance Survey, and to say that the subject will have due consideration.

To Sir F. ABEL, C.B., F.R.S., &c., &c.

I am, yours faithfully, (Signed) P. H. BAGENAL.

(H) That the Council be requested to consider the question of watching the operation of Acts relating to Scientific and Technical Education, and to take such steps as may seem desirable for furthering the objects of those Acts.'

The Council considered this Resolution, and are of opinion that there is no necessity at the present time for them to take any action.

(I) That the Council be requested to consider whether it is not desirable to make special provision for the comprehensive consideration by the Association of questions relating to Scientific and Technical Education.'

With regard to this Resolution, the Council understand that the chief object of the Sectional Committee which originated it was to have general discussions on scientific and technical questions organised, in which members of the various Sections who have a special knowledge of these questions should take part.

The Council consider that the Sectional Committees have sufficient powers to deal with this proposal severally and jointly.

(J) That the paper by Mr. J. F. Green on "Steam Life-boats" be printed in extenso, with the necessary drawings.'

The Council decided that an abstract only of this paper should be printed.

The report of the Corresponding Societies Committee has been received, and will be presented to the General Committee.

The Corresponding Societies Committee, consisting of Mr. Francis Galton, Professor R. Meldola (Secretary), Professor A. W. Williamson, Sir Douglas Galton, Professor Boyd Dawkins, Sir Rawson Rawson, Dr. J. G. Garson, Dr. J. Evans, Mr. J. Hopkinson, Mr. W. Whitaker, Mr. G. J. Symons, General Pitt-Rivers, Mr. W. Topley, and Professor T. G. Bonney, is hereby nominated for reappointment by the General Committee, together with Mr. T. V. Holmes, F.G.S.

The Council nominate Mr. G. J. Symons, F.R.S., Chairman, Dr. J. G. Garson, F.Z.S., Vice-Chairman, and Professor R. Meldola, F.R.S., Secretary to the Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies to be held during the Meeting at Cardiff.

In accordance with the regulations the retiring Members of the Council, exclusive of Professor Rücker (who is recommended for the office of Treasurer), will be:

Mr. Blanford.

Mr. Crookes.

Mr. J. B. Martin.
Capt. Wharton.

The Council recommend the re-election of the other ordinary Members of Council, with the addition of the gentlemen whose names are distinguished by an asterisk in the following list: