45 
[1820-30 
1820-30] ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 
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duties of the office of Honorary Secretary,” the Treasurer was 
directed to regard him as a Life Member, without payment of fees. 
There is no further mention of an Assistant Secretary until 1829 
January 29, when we find it— 
Resolved that the Secretaries be empowered to employ an 
Assistant. 
But nothing more definite occurs in the Minutes until 1830 
November 19, when steps were taken resulting in the appoint 
ment of Mr. James Epps, as recounted in the next Chapter. 
Standing Committees (Instruments and Library) 
In 1829 January two Committees were appointed to report 
upon the Instruments and on the Library respectively. They 
were to be reappointed in each following January. The latter 
gradually became a permanent institution, but there is to-day 
nothing in place of the former. It may therefore be well to recall 
the importance of this matter of instruments in the early days. 
The first considerable present of instruments was from Lieut. 
George Beaufoy. who at the death of his father, Colonel Mark 
Beaufoy (a silver medallist of the Society in 1827 February for 
his observations of Jupiter’s Satellites “ with a five-feet achromatic 
by Dollond ”) handed over 
One 4-feet transit by Cary, 
One altazimuth by Cary, 
A sidereal and a mean solar clock, 
in recognition of which valuable presents the donor was elected 
a Life Member, without payment of fees ( M.N ., 1 , 51). At the 
adjourned evening meeting of Council after the presentation, 1827 
June 8, Captain Smyth, R.N., applied for the loan of the instru 
ments. His request was referred to the Committee of the President 
( J. F. W. Herschel), Beaufort, Baily, and Colby, which had already 
been appointed to deal with the handing over of the instruments 
and is referred to as the “ Instrument Committee.” This no doubt 
led to the establishment of the more permanent Committee some 
eighteen months later. In 1828 December 8, Dr. W. H. Wollaston 
presented a telescope made by Peter Dollond in 1771 : expressing 
the hope that it might be used. He had himself used it for “ trying 
and perfecting his method of adjusting the triple achromatic 
object glass ” : and it was forthwith lent to Mr. Maclear, of Biggles 
wade, for observing occultations. Dr. Wollaston was proposed as 
a Fellow in 1828 June, and would in the ordinary course have been 
balloted for in December ; but the “ alarming state of his health 
and high probability of his dissolution previous to the December