Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/148

 I2 4 HISTORY OF THE [1850-60 schemes requiring organisation and division of labour." This consideration somewhat modified the type of man recommended. Thus while the Committee were of opinion that the list should contain " Directors of foreign observatories of deserved reputation and of such foreign Professors of Astronomy as have conspicuously added to the science by theoretical investigations," they were very chary in admitting any claims on the part of those who did not hold official positions. Such were considered as having little or no value for these co-ordinated researches. The amateur astronomer the Committee would have entirely excluded, and they specifically recommended " that, though subordinate foreign astronomers may occasionally in cases of extraordinary merit be usefully put on the list of members, yet that want of an independent position must be considered per se as a disqualification only to be set aside by some remarkable discovery or some elaborate astro- nomical work of acknowledged merit." Note particularly the word " usefully " as indicating the bias of the Committee. The hope that Associates could be made use of never appears to have been practically acted upon, and has long since been aban- doned. In fact, it is now recognised that the Society is not a suitable body for carrying out schemes requiring organisation and division of labour. The Council of those times was troubled with one task lying somewhat outside their normal functions, the exercise of a piece of ecclesiastical patronage arising out of the gift to the Society by John Lee of the advowsons of the livings of Hartwell and Stone. Thus we find in 1855 the Council had to present a new incumbent to the living of Hartwell-cum-Hampden-Parva, and again in 1859 had to fill a similar vacancy at Stone. In the first case there were six applicants, and the selection was made easier by the fact that the duty had for some years been performed by a clergyman residing in the place. The gentleman, the Rev. C. Lowndes, was himself an amateur astronomer and had, aided by the generosity of Mr. Lee, built himself a small observatory in the Rectory grounds. The Council were therefore in the fortunate position of being able to satisfy both doctrinal and scientific needs, to appoint a Rector who was already well known and respected in the locality, and to help towards the continuation of work in the observatory. On other occasions there was no such clean-cut issue before them, and in filling up the living of Stone they were apparently guided only by testimonials. Ultimately, these two advowsons were repur- chased from the Society by Mr. Lee's heir in 1879, and the Council was relieved of a distasteful duty for which it had no qualifications. Towards the end of 1856 another matter of procedure was re-
 * 4 usefully co-operate with the Society and assist it in carrying out