1820-30] ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 9 
A letter (of which the following is a copy) was received from his 
Grace the Duke of Somerset, viz. :— 
“ Park Lane, 9 th March 1820. 
“ To the Council of the Astronomical Society of London. 
“ Gentlemen,—The gratification I derived from the appoint 
ment, with which your Society honoured me at its last meeting, 
& which was then only qualified by the apprehension of my 
inadequacy as to fulfilling its duties, has since been obliged to 
yield entirely to a feeling of a different kind, and one which 
(I am sorry to say) will no longer allow me to hold that high 
situation. The professions which terminate the Address of 
your Society, and some great names which are to be found in 
the list of its members, had given ample ground for trusting 
that, as nothing was intended inimical, so, nothing could follow 
prejudicial, to the interests of an old respectable and chartered 
body. Its President is however of quite a different opinion, 
and apprehends the ruin of the Royal Society. To Sir Joseph 
Banks I have been long & strongly attached, not only by the 
ties of public regard, but those of private friendship; and my 
remaining in a post, which he considers as a hostile position, 
might be liable to unfavourable comments, & would certainly 
be very painful to my own feelings. I trust therefore you 
will not wonder that, under the influence of these impressions, 
I feel myself obliged to resign the flattering hope of connecting 
my name with the labours of the Astronomical Society, & 
that I am under the necessity of withdrawing from the list 
of its members : & that I am indeed to hope that you will 
receive this my immediate & sudden resignation & recession 
with that indulgence which I can only claim on account 
of the motive which I profess.—I have the honour to be, 
Gentlemen, your much obliged & obedient serv. 
“ Somerset.” 
A letter was also received from John Fuller, Esq., stating that 
he did not mean to belong to the Astronomical Society, because 
it did not meet with the approbation of Sir Joseph Banks. 
The Treasurer reported that A. Baily, Esq. ; F. Baily, Esq. ; 
Capt. Colby ; D. Moore, Esq. ; J. South, Esq. ; and himself and 
Mr. Troughton had each paid the sum of Twenty guineas, as a 
composition for their future annual contributions. 
Resolved unanimously— 
That the several compositions for the annual contributions 
which have been, and may hereafter be, received by the Society, 
shall be, from time to time, invested in the Navy 5 p. cents., in 
the joint names of the Trustees of this Society for the time being; 
as a separate fund. 
Resolved unanimously— 
That the Capital Stock, created by such investment, shall remain 
as a permanent fund, the interest only of which shall, if necessary, 
be appropriated to the current expences of the Society.