I 74 
HISTORY OF THE 
[1870-80 
He was then appointed Inspector of Scientific Instruments for 
India, and in that capacity was the first Superintendent of the 
depot at Lambeth, where an Observatory was erected for him, 
in which he did much good work in designing and testing apparatus. 
He joined the Society in 1861, served on the Council almost con 
tinuously from 1863, and was chosen Foreign Secretary in 1870. 
Many papers on instrumental subjects will be found in the indexes 
under his name. 
At the meeting at Norwich in 1868, the British Association, 
at the instance of Colonel Strange, took into consideration the 
subject of Government Aid for Science. This led to little result, 
but in April 1872, Colonel Strange, claiming to follow the lead of 
Sir George Airy, who a few months earlier had proposed that an 
observatory should be established solely for the observation of 
the phenomena of Jupiter’s satellites, read a paper before our 
Society on “ The Insufficiency of Existing National Observatories.” 
In this he asserted that permanent national provision for the 
cultivation of the Physics of Astronomy was urgently needed. 
At the meeting of the Council in May he proposed that “ the 
President be authorised, on behalf of the Fellows and Council 
of the Royal Astronomical Society, to bring before the Royal 
Commission on Scientific Instruction and the Advancement of 
Science, now sitting, the desirability of providing for the cultivation 
of the Physics of Astronomy.” The Commission referred to was 
under the Chairmanship of the Duke of Devonshire, and had been 
in existence for two or three years. It had been established, 
it is said, largely owing to Colonel Strange’s persistent advocacy 
of the necessity for Government aid for the promotion of scientific 
research. Mr. Lockyer was Secretary of this Commission. It 
had at the time practically completed the first part of its work, 
which was concerned with scientific instruction. After discussion 
by the Council in May, consideration of Colonel Strange’s proposal 
was adjourned to the June meeting, and then to a Special Meeting 
of the Council on June 21, and again to another on June 28. At 
this last meeting the following motions proposed by Dr. Huggins 
were taken into consideration :— 
1. That the President be authorised, on behalf of the Council 
and Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society, to bring before the 
Royal Commissioners on Scientific Instruction and on the Advance 
ment of Science, now sitting, the importance of further aid being 
afforded to the cultivation of the Physics of Astronomy. 
2. The Council think such aid would be most effectually given 
by increased assistance where needed to existing Public Observa 
tories in the direction recommended by the heads of those observa 
tories, especially that at the Cape of Good Hope, and by the estab