Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/52

 36 HISTORY OF THE [1820-30 Court Road and Bedford Row, and not more than a quarter of a mile north of Holborn. These details of the Society's needs a century ago have an almost comic aspect to us to-day : modest as they were they could not be met. Only two answers to the advertisement were forth- coming : one concerned a house in Newgate Street, which was put aside without even the formality of an inspection ; the other was to be inspected, and presumably was found quite unsatisfactory, as there is no further mention of it. In December of the same year, Mr. Millington, the Secretary, was requested to confer with the managers of the London Mechanics' Institution in Southampton Buildings, but it was reported that the premises were quite un- suitable. A new Committee on premises was appointed in 1828 April, and soon afterwards (1829 November) the possibility of finding room in Somerset House began to take shape, ultimately becoming a reality in 1834. THE MEMOIRS No more important decisions were taken in the early years than those for the printing of papers read to the Society. Regula- tions for printing papers were adopted on 1821 May n. An abstract of each paper, made by one of the Secretaries, was to be read to the Council, who should then decide by ballot whether the paper be referred to a Committee nominated by the Chairman : any alterations suggested were to be submitted by one of the Secretaries to the author (or his representative), and an estimate obtained for any plates required : and the Council were then to ballot for printing the paper as amended. We may note that " if such motion be carried in the affirmative, the author [was to] be allowed to correct the proof-sheets, if he should desire it." At a special meeting of the Council summoned for May 25, six of the papers already read were thus submitted to Committees, three of which reported favourably in June ; and thus volume 1 of our Memoirs was prepared. It was resolved (in 1821 June) to print 500 copies of the Memoirs, with 25 extra copies of each paper supplied gratis to the author : members to be entitled to buy at half-price. The type was to be " that used in Mr. Colebrooke's Indian Algebra : and that the size of the page be the same. Which type is denomi- nated by the printers, Pica : and the size of the page is 7^ inches long and $iv inches wide." The advertisement which opens each volume of Memoirs was drawn up. The Minutes of this meeting conclude with a letter received from Sir Humphry Davy, President of the Royal Society, which may be transcribed :