decline of science in england-第9章

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〃Resolved；　that　the　following　gentlemen　be　recommended　to　be　put　upon　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year。〃　　＇Here　follows　a　list　of　persons；　amongst　whom　the　name　of　Sir　John　Franklin　occurs　　＇Sir　John　Franklin　was　absent　from　London；　and　altogether　unacquainted　with　this　transaction；　until　he　saw　it　stated　in　the　newspapers　some　months　after　it　had　taken　place。　　That　his　name　was　the　one　substituted　for　that　of　Captain　Beaufort　I　know；　from　other　evidence　which　need　not　be　produced　here；　as　the　omission　of　the　latter　name　is　the　charge　that　has　been　made。＇；　and　that　of　Captain　Beaufort　is　not　found。　　＇Any　gentleman　may　satisfy　himself　that　this　is　not　a　mistake　of　the　Assistant　Secretary's；　in　copying；　by　consulting　the　rough　minutes　of　that　meeting　of　the　Council；　which　it　might　perhaps　be　as　well　to　write　in　a　rough　minute…book；　instead　of　upon　loose　sheets　of　paper；　nor　can　it　be　attributed　to　any　error　arising　from　accidentally　mislaying　the　real　minutes；　for　in　that　case　the　error　would　have　been　rectified　immediately　it　was　detected；　and　this　has　remained　uncorrected；　although　publicly　spoken　of　for　months。　　As　there　is　no　erasure　in　the　list；　one　is　reluctantly　compelled　to　conjecture　that　the　real　minutes　of　that　meeting　have　been　destroyed。＇＇

Now　this　could　not　be　the　list　actually　recommended　by　the　Council　on　the　morning　of　the　26th　of　November；　because　the　President　himself；　on　the　evening　of　that　day；　informed　Capt。　Beaufort　that　he　was　placed　on　the　house　list；　and　that　officer；　with　the　characteristic　openness　of　his　profession；　wrote　on　the　next　or　the　following　day　to　the　President；　declining　that　situation；　and　stating　his　reasons　for　the　step。

Upon　the　fact；　therefore；　of　the　suppression　of　part　of　a　resolution　of　the　Council；　on　the　26th　of　November；　there　can　be　no　doubt；　but　in　order　to　understand　the　whole　nature　of　the　transaction；　other　information　is　necessary。　　It　has　been　the　wish　of　many　members　of　the　Society；　that　the　President　should　not　absolutely　name　his　own　Council；　but　that　the　subject　should　be　discussed　fairly　at　the　meeting　previous　to　the　Anniversary　this　has　always　been　opposed　by　Mr。　Gilbert；　and　those　who　support　him。　Now；　it　has　been　stated；　that；　at　the　meeting　of　the　Council　on　the　26th　of　November；　the　President　took　out　of　his　pocket　a　bit　of　paper；　from　which　he　read　the　names　of　several　persons　as　fit　to　be　on　the　Council　for　the　ensuing　year；that　it　was　not　understood　that　any　motion　was　made；　and　it　is　certain　that　none　was　seconded；　nor　was　any　ballot　taken　on　such　an　important　question；　and　it　was　a　matter　of　considerable　surprise　to　some　of　those　present；　to　discover　afterwards　that　it　was　entered　on　the　minutes　as　a　resolution。　　This　statement　I　have　endeavoured　to　verify；　and　I　believe　it　to　be　substantially　correct；　if　it　was　a　resolution；　it　was　dictated；　not　discussed。　It　is　also　important　to　observe；　that　no　similar　resolution　stands　on　the　council…books　for　any　previous　year。

On　examining　the　minutes　of　the　succeeding　Council；　no　notice　of　the　letter　of　Captain　Beaufort　to　the　President　is　found。　　Why　was　it　omitted？　　If　the　first　entry　had　been　truly　made；　there　would　have　been　no　necessity　for　the　omission；　and　after　the　insertion　of　that　letter；　a　resolution　would　naturally　have　followed；　recommending　another　name　instead　of　the　one　withdrawn。　Such　was　the　natural　and　open　course；　but　this　would　have　exposed　to　the　Society　the　weakness　of　those　who　manage　it。　If　the　rough　minutes　of　each　meeting　of　the　Council　were　read　over　before　it　separated；　and　were　copied　previously　to　the　next　meeting；　such　a　substitution　could　hardly　have　occurred；　but；　unfortunately；　this　is　not　the　case；　and　the　delay　is　in　some　cases　considerable。　Thus；　the　minutes　of　the　three　Councils；　held　on　February　4；　on　February　11；　and　on　March　11；　were　not　entered　on　the　minute…　books　of　the　Council　on　Tuesday；　the　16th　March；　nor　was　this　the　fault　of　the　Assistant…secretary；　for　up　to　that　day　the　rough　minutes　of　no　one　of　those　Councils　had　been　transmitted　to　him。

Deeply　as　every　friend　to　the　Royal　Society　must　regret　such　an　occurrence；　one　slight　advantage　may　accrue。　　Should　that　resolution　be　ever　quoted　hereafter　to　prove　that　the　Council　of　1829　really　discussed　the　persons　to　be　recommended　as　their　successors；　the　detection　of　this　suppression　of　one　portion　of　it；　will　furnish　better　means　of　estimating　the　confidence　due　to　the　whole。


SECTION　4。


OF　THE　SCIENTIFIC　ADVISERS。

Whether　it　was　feared　by　the　PARTY　who　govern　the　Royal　Society；　that　its　Council　would　not　be　sufficiently　tractable；　or　whether　the　Admiralty　determined　to　render　that　body　completely　subservient　to　them；　or　whether　both　these　motives　concurred；　I　know　not；　but；　low　as　has　been　for　years　its　character　for　independence；　and　fallen　as　the　Royal　Society　is　in　public　estimation；　it　could　scarcely　be　prepared　for　this　last　insult。　In　order　to　inform　the　public　and　the　Society；　（for　I　believe　the　fact　is　known　to　few　of　the　members；）　it　will　be　necessary　to　trace　the　history　of　those　circumstances　which　led　to　the　institution　of　the　offices　of　Scientific　Advisers；　from　the　time　of　the　existence　of　the　late　Board　of　Longitude。

That　body　consisted；　according　to　the　act　of　parliament　which　established　it；　of　certain　official　members；　who　usually　possessed　no　knowledge　of　the　subjects　it　was　the　duty　of　the　Board　to　discussof　certain　professors　of　the　two　universities；　and　the　Astronomer　Royal；　who　had　some　knowledge；　and　who　were　paid　100L。　a　year　for　their　attendance；of　three　honorary　members　of　the　Royal　Society；　who　combined　the　qualifications　of　the　two　preceding　classes；　and；　lastly；　of　〃three　other　persons；〃　named　Resident　Commissioners；　who　were　supposed　to　be　〃WELL　VERSED　IN　THE　SCIENCES　OF　MATHEMATICS；　ASTRONOMY；　OR　NAVIGATION；〃　and　who　were　paid　a　hundred　a　year　to　do　the　work　of　the　Board。

The　first　three　classes　were　permanent　members；　but　the　〃three　other　persons〃　only　held　the　appointment　for　ONE　YEAR；　and　were　renewable　at　the　pleasure　of　the　Admiralty。　　This　Board　was　abolished　by　another　act　of　parliament；　on　the　ground　that　it　was　useless。　　Shortly　after；　the　Secretary　of　the　Admiralty　communicated　to　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　the　copy　of　an　Order　in　Council：

ADMIRALTY　OFFICE；　November　1；　1828。

SIR；　I　am　commanded　by　my　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty；　to　send　herewith；　for　the　information　of　the　President　and　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　a　copy　of　His　Majesty's　Order　in　Council　of　the　27th　of　last　month；　explaining　that　the　salaries　heretofore　allowed　to　the　Resident　Commissioners　of　the　Board　of　Longitude；　and　to　the　Superintendents　of　the　Nautical　Almanac；　and　of　Chronometers；　shall　be　continued　to　them；　notwithstanding　the　abolition　of　the　Board　of　Longitude。　　And　I　am　to　acquaint　you；　that　the　necessary　orders　have　been　given　to　the　Navy　Board　for　the　payment　of　the　said　salaries。

I　am；　Sir；　Your　most　obedient　humble　servant；

JOHN　BARROW。


AT　THE　COURT　AT　WINDSOR；　27th　October；　1828。

PRESENT；　The　King's　most　Excellent　Majesty　in　Council；

Whereas；　there　was　this　day　read　at　the　Board　a　Memorial　from　the　Right　Honourable　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty；　dated　4th　of　this　instant；　in　the　words　following；　viz。

Whereas；　by　an　Act　of　the　58th　of　his　late　Majesty's　reign；　cap。　20；　instituted　〃An　Act　for　the　more　effectually　discovering　the　Longitude　at　sea；　and　encouraging　attempts　to　find　a　Northern　passage　between　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific　Oceans；　and　to　approach　the　North　Pole；〃　three　persons　well　versed　in　the　sciences　of　Mathematics；　Astronomy；　or　Navigation；　were　appointed　as　a　Resident　Committee　of　the　Board　of　Commissioners　for　discovery　of　the　Longitude　at　sea；　and　a　Superintendent　of　the　Nautical　Almanac　and　of　Chronometers　was　also　appointed；　with　such　salaries　for　the　execution　of　those　services　as　his　Majesty　might；　by　any　Order　in　Council；　be　pleased　to　direct；　and；　whereas；　your　Majesty　was　in　consequence；　by　your　Order　in　Council　of　the　27th　of　May；　1828；　most　graciously　pleased　to　direct；　that　the　three　said　Resident　Commissioners　should　be　paid　at　the　rate　of　100L。　a　year　each；　and　by　your　further　Order　in　Council；　of　the　31st　October；　1818；　that　the　Superintendent　of　the　Nautical　Almanac　should　be　allowed　a　salary　of　300L。；　and　the　Superintendent　of　Chronometers　100L。　a　year；　and；　whereas；　the　act　above　mentioned　has　been　repealed；　and　the　Board　of　Longitude　abolished；　and　doubts　have　therefore　arisen；　whether　the　said　Orders　in　Council　shall　still　continue　in　force；　and　whereas　it　is　expedient　that　the　said　appointments　be　continued；　We　beg　leave　most　humbly　to　submit　to　your　Majesty；　that　your　Majesty　may　be　graciously　pleased；　by　your　Order　in　Council；　to　direct　that　the　said　offices　of　Superintendent　of　the　Nautical　Almanac；　and　of　Superintendent　of　Chronometers；　and　also　the　three　persons　before…mentioned　as　a　Resident　Committee；　to　advise　with　the　Commissioners　for　executing　the　Office　of　Lord　High　Admiral；　on　all　questions　of　discoveries；　inventions；　calculations；　and　other　scientific　subjects；　be　continued；　with　the　same　duties　and　salaries；　and　under　the　same　regulations　as　heretofore；　and　further　beg　most　humbly　to　propose；　that　such　three　persons　to　form　the　Resident　Committee；　be　chosen　annually　by　the　Commissioners　for　executing　the　office　of　Lord　High　Admiral；　from　among　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society。

His　Majesty；　having　taken　the　said　Memorial　into　consideration；　was　pleased；　by　and　with　the　advice　of　his　Privy　Council；　to　approve　thereof　and　the　Right　Honourable　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty　are　to　give　the　necessary　directions　herein　accordingly。

（Signed）　JAMES　HILLER。

Thus；　it　appeared　that　the　Admiralty　were　to　choose　three　persons　from　among　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　who　were　to　have　a　hundred　a　year　each　during　the　pleasure　of　the　Admiralty。

Such　an　open　attack　on　the　independence　of　the　Council　could　not　escape　the　remarks　of　some　of　the　members；　and　a　kind　of　mild　remonstrance　was　made；　in　which　the　real　ground　of　complaint　was　omitted。

MINUTE　OF　COUNCIL　OF　THE　ROYAL　SOCIETY。　December　18；　1823。

RESOLVED；　That　in　acknowledging　the　communication　of　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty；　made　to　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　on　the　20th　of　November　last；　it　be　represented　to　them　that　inconvenience　may　arise　from　the　plan　therein　specified；　from　the　circumstance　of　all　the　members　of　the　Council　being　annually　elected　by　the　Society　at　large；　and　that　body　being　consequently　subject　to　continual　changes　from　year　to　year。

This　was　answered　by　the　following　letter　from　the　Secretary　of　the　Admiralty　：

ADMIRALTY　OFFICE；　DEC。　30；　1828。

SIR；　Having　submitted　to　my　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Admiralty　your　Letter　of　the　18th　instant；　subjoining　an　extract　from　the　Minutes　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Council　of　the　Royal　Society；　arising　out　of　the　communication　made　to　them　by　their　Lordships；　on　the　subject　of　his　Majesty's　Order　in　Council；　of　the　fifth　of　October　last；　I　have　their　Lordships'　command　to　acquaint　you；　for　the　information　of　the　President　and　Council；　and　with　reference　to　what　they　have　stated　as　to　the　inconvenience　which　may　arise　fro