g President
of the Royal Society; and that, although some may have forgotten the
communications I made at the time, there are others who remember them
well.

The Secretary of the late Board of Longitude received 300L., and 200L.
more, as Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac.

Another situation, in the patronage of which the President is known to
have considerable influence, is that of Astronomer Royal; and it is
to be observed, that he is kept in the Council as much as possible,
notwithstanding the nature of his duties.

Of the three appointments of 100L. a-year each, which have been
instituted since the abolition of the Board of Longitude, the President
is supposed to have the control, thus making him quite sure of the
obedience of his Council.

Besides these sources of patronage, there are other incidental occasions
on which Government apply to the Royal Society to recommend proper
persons to make particular experiments or observations; and, although I
am far from supposing that these are in many instances given to persons
the second or third best qualified for them, yet they deserve to be
mentioned.

SECTION 12. OF THE PLAN FOR REFORMING THE SOCIETY.

The indiscriminate admission of every candidate became at last so
notorious, even beyond the pale of the Society, that some of the members
began to perceive the inconveniences to which it led. This feeling,
together with a conviction that other improvements were necessary to
re-establish the Society in public opinion, induced several of the most
active members to wish for some reform in its laws and proceedings;
and a Committee was appointed to consider the subject. It was perfectly
understood, that the object of this Committee was to inquire,--First, as
to the means and propriety of limiting the numbers of this Society; and
then, as to other changes which they might think beneficial. The names
of the gentlemen composing this Committee were:--

Dr. Wollaston, Mr. Herschel,
Dr. Young, Mr. Babbage,
Mr. Davies Gilbert, Captain Beaufort,
Mr. South, Captain Kater.

The importance of the various improvements suggested was different in
the eyes of different members. The idea of rendering the Society so
select as to make it an object of ambition to men of science to be
elected into it, was by no means new, as the following extract from the
Minutes of the Council will prove:--

"MINUTES OF COUNCI