'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎25] (40/496)

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XXV
there seemed no reason why they should not undertake the cost of printing. The So-
ciety’s services as superintendents of the scheme would themselves be onerous and
very valuable. Government had many months since received instructions from
the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. to resume Tidal Observations, and only waited to see the
result of the scheme proposed by the Society-it being in reality resolved that the
charges should fall on the public treasury.—The Hon’ble Mr Willoughby said
that it was to be regretted that this view of matters had not been taken from the
first, and that the Society had not counted the cost before they had come forward
with their plan. He should in that case in all likelihood have adopted the views
of Mr Reid : he was now afraid that if the offer to publish were to be with
drawn by the Society, the superintendence might be withheld from them.—It was
explained that it was only in July last that the Court of Diiectois had agreed, at
the suggestion of the British Association, to resume didal Obseivations in India ,
that the intimation of their having done so reached the Society subsequent to the
meeting in August, consequent on which the latest letter addressed to Govern
ment on the subject had been written. The resolution of the Court entirely altered
the aspect of affairs, and made that imperative on the part of Government which
before had been voluntary. Besides this, when Government, in 1845, adopted the
scheme as suggested by the Society, they resolved that the results should appear in
the report of the Observatory, and thus be published at the public charge : no more
was now required of them than what they had formerly been willing to take
upon themselves, the Society only desiring to be entrusted with the supervision of
the execution of the scheme they had planned. All the resolutions previously
proposed on this subject having been withdrawn, the following was proposed by Ma
jor LeG. Jacob, seconded by the Revd. Mr. Pigott, and agreed to unanimously
« Resolved.—That the Secretary do communicate to Government the result
of its enquiry into the expense of printing, which will simply for one year’s ob
servations at seven observatories cost 3,000 rupees—exceeding the balance in the
Society’s hands ; and submit that it could not, even with this sacrifice of the whole
of its funds, offer to continue its aid in printing beyond one year. Since it ap
pears from the reports of the British Association—vide No. 1027 of the Athenceum
—that the Government is already charged by the Hon’ble Court to make these ob
servations, the Society trusts that the Government will undertake the expense of
printing, the Society being prepared to carry out its original proposition of super
intending the observations.”
The following resolution was then recorded : it was agreed that the Admiralty
should not be written to until the views of Government had been made known.
Proposed by Captain Lynch, and seconded by Major Jacob
“ That should Government accede to the present arrangement, the Secretary
be requested to place himself in communication with the Admiralty relating to the
grant of £350 for the provision of instruments, &c.”
A rough draft of the letter to Government was directed to be submitted before
transmission, by the Secretary to the Committee. The meeting then adjourned
till the 4th May, 1848.