Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/234

 204 HISTORY OF THE [1870-80 something different to the English. Mr. Burnham endorsed this explanation in a paper contributed to the Monthly Notices in 1880. The President (Lord Lindsay), Sir George Airy, and other Members of Council felt that some action should be taken to express their disapproval of Mr. Sadler's paper, for the publication of which they held themselves responsible. The Astronomer Royal prepared draft resolutions which were submitted to the Council at a Special Meeting on Monday, 1879 April 7. Of the essential resolutions, four in number, three only were adopted, and these after some amendment. The fourth resolution, which was condemnatory of Mr. Sadler's criticism of the " Reference Catalogue," was dropped. Airy took this emendation of his plan so seriously that he immediately, at this meeting on April 7, resigned his office of Vice-President of the Society, which led to the publication of the following note in Nature of April 10. In the interests of British science we have refrained now for some time from referring to the evil days which have fallen upon one of the most reputable of our learned societies. The time, how- ever, has now come when silence is impossible. At the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society's Council yesterday, the Astronomer Royal, in consequence of the recent action of the Council an action inevitable when the present constitution of that body is considered resigned his seat at the board. We cannot too much regret that this Society, the traditions of which are second to none in Europe, should have been utilised for some years past by an advertising clique who have everything to gain by their connection with a body of honourable students of science. The withdrawal of men long known for their astronomical work from the Council commenced some time since. It has now culminated in the resignation of the Astronomer Royal, and we are informed that other resignations are to follow ; indeed, a man of scientific repute risks somewhat in being found among the Councillors. Surely the Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society of London are strong enough to remedy such a state of things as this. The three amended resolutions were considered and adopted by the Council at their ordinary monthly meeting on April 9 (Good Friday fell on April n in this year) when it was resolved that they should be further discussed at the next meeting of the Council, which would be on May 9. On that occasion extensive verbal alterations were made, and the fourth of the original resolu- tions proposed by Airy was restored with some modification. Finally, the resolutions given below were passed by the Council and read to the Fellows present at the meeting of the Society in the evening of the same date.