Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/15



rules and regulations as may be formed for such Society, in the manner to be appointed at the present meeting for that purpose."

Resolved unanimously—

1. That a Committee of eight members be appointed to draw up such rules and regulations; and that three be a quorum.

Resolved unanimously—

2. That C. Babbage, Esq.; F. Baily, Esq.; Capt. T. Colby; H. T. Colebrooke, Esq.; Dr. Gregory; J. F. W. Herschel, Esq.; D. Moore, Esq.; and Rev. Dr. Pearson be the Committee above mentioned.

Resolved unanimously—

3. That a general meeting of the members take place on Tuesday, February the 8th, at the house of the Geological Society in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, at 7 o'clock in the evening precisely; to take into consideration the rules and regulations which may be then proposed by the Committee.

Resolved unanimously—

4. That any person, recommended by one of the present members of the Society, who may be desirous of joining the Society at, or prior to, the above-mentioned general meeting, shall, on previously signifying in writing his assent to these resolutions, or on authorising a member by letter to signify the same on his behalf, be considered a member thereof without ballot.

Resolved unanimously—

5. That the Committee be authorised to draw up an Address, explanatory of the motives and object of the Society; and to circulate it in such manner as they may think fit.

Resolved unanimously—

6. That F. Baily, Esq., be Secretary pro tempore.

Memorandum.—It was omitted to be stated, in its proper place, that D. Moore, Esq., was unanimously called to the Chair. , Secretary pro tem.

Returning to the Diary of Sir John Herschel, we see that the first action of the infant Society was the preparation of an Address, and that it was undertaken by Herschel himself, possibly with the help of Pearson and Babbage. The MS. was probably handed to the Secretary, Francis Baily, on the evening of Wednesday, January 19, and on the following Saturday he was able to write announcing that it was in type:—

, Jan. 22, 1820. ,—I think you will say that the printer and myself have managed admirably well in being able to decipher and arrange the very rough copy which you left us. There was but one passage which I could not exactly make out; but as the meaning was evident, I was at no loss to complete the sentence.

There is one liberty I have taken with it, which is the insertion