Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/229

 1870-80] ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 201 if the Society succeeded it would have to bear a great part of the costs, which could not, according to the rules laid down by the Courts, be recovered from the other side. It was found that Mr. Lee did not wish to present any friend of his own to the vacant living, and was willing to settle the dis- pute by purchasing for the sum of 700 the advowson of Stone, subject to the Society's right of presentation to the existing vacancy, and to a release of the Society's claim to Hartwell being included. These terms were submitted as a resolution at the Annual General Meeting held in 1879 February. It was agreed to, and the Rev. James Challis was presented to the living by the Society.* 5. 1879-1880 The outstanding incident of the session 1878-9 was again of a contentious nature, and brought a new personality on to the scene, who put the Council in a rather unpleasant position. This was Mr. Herbert Sadler, who had joined the Society in 1876 November immediately after leaving Cambridge. He appears not to have taken up any definite profession, but engaged himself in miscellaneous scientific work. He was specially devoted to double-star Astronomy, and by the aid of a 3j-inch telescope, the property of the Society, added notes and corrections to published catalogues. At the Council meeting in 1878 December, when, according to custom, the " House " Balloting List was prepared, Mr. Sadler's name was included, though he had made no contribution to the Proceedings of the Society up to that date, and though he was little known except to one or two members of the Council. He was elected in due course to the governing body in 1879 February. In January he contributed a paper under the title, " Notes on the late Admiral Smyth's 4 Cycle of Celestial Objects,' Volume the Second, commonly known as the 4 Bedford Catalogue,' " which was the cause of much offence. The form of this work is well known. The second volume consists of a list of double and multiple stars, which are described individually in a chatty and historical manner, and gives the position, angle, and distance of the companion, from the results of his own observations. Mr. Sadler asserted that many of these supposed positions were much in error, and insinuated that they were not the result of measures, but that Admiral Smyth had simply copied or " followed " the observations of previous observers. An example will explain the precise nature the parishes of Hartwell and Stone were united in 1902.
 * It appears from the obituary notice of Mr. Challis (M.N., 80, 345) that