3 
1820-30] ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 
rules and regulations as may be formed for such Society, in 
the manner to be appointed at the present meeting for that 
purpose.” 
Resolved unanimously— 
1. That a Committee of eight members be appointed to draw 
up such rules and regulations ; and that three be a quorum. 
Resolved unanimously— 
2. That C. Babbage, Esq. ; F. Baily, Esq. ; Capt. T. Colby ; 
H. T. Colebrooke, Esq. ; Dr. Gregory ; J. F. W. Herschel, Esq. ; 
D. Moore, Esq. ; and Rev. Dr. Pearson be the Committee above 
mentioned. 
Resolved unanimously— 
3. That a general meeting of the members take place on Tuesday, 
February the 8th, at the house of the Geological Society in Bedford 
Street, Covent Garden, at 7 o’clock in the evening precisely ; to 
take into consideration the rules and regulations which may be 
then proposed by the Committee. 
Resolved unanimously— 
4. That any person, recommended by one of the present members 
of the Society, who may be desirous of joining the Society at, or 
prior to, the above-mentioned general meeting, shall, on previously 
signifying in writing his assent to these resolutions, or on authorising 
a member by letter to signify the same on his behalf, be considered 
a member thereof without ballot. 
Resolved unanimously— 
5. That the Committee be authorised to draw up an Address, 
explanatory of the motives and object of the Society; and to 
circulate it in such manner as they may think fit. 
Resolved unanimously— 
6. That F. Baily, Esq., be Secretary pro tempore. 
Memorandum .—It was omitted to be stated, in its proper place, 
that D. Moore, Esq., was unanimously called to the Chair. 
Francis Baily, Secretary pro tern. Dan. Moore, Chairman. 
Returning to the Diary of Sir John Herschel, we see that the 
first action of the infant Society was the preparation of an Address, 
and that it was undertaken by Herschel himself, possibly with the 
help of Pearson and Babbage. The MS. was probably handed to 
the Secretary, Francis Baily, on the evening of Wednesday, January 
19, and on the following Saturday he was able to write announcing 
that it was in type :— 
Gray’s Inn, Jan. 22, 1820. 
Dear Sir, —I think you will say that the printer and myself 
have managed admirably well in being able to decipher and arrange 
the very rough copy which you left us. There was but one passage 
which I could not exactly make out; but as the meaning was evident, 
I was at no loss to complete the sentence. 
There is one liberty I have taken with it, which is the insertion