§ MR. M'LAGANasked the Secretary to the Treasury, If any communications have taken place between the Meteorological Council and the Scottish Meteorological Society regarding the conducting of special researches by the latter Society or the prosecution of meteorological inquiry; and, what payments have been made to the Scottish Meteorological Society during the past two years for the conducting of special researches, as suggested in the Report of the Treasury Committee on the Meteorological Grant?
§ SIB HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSONI understand that in the spring of 1878 communications passed between the Meteorological Council and the Scottish Meteorological Society, with a view to arranging the terms on which the Society should co-operate with the Council; but that the Society has declined to accede to the conditions on which alone the 820 Council could, consistently with the principles laid down by the Treasury Committee, make any payment to the Society out of the Vote, those conditions being that—
No payments should be made to independent Societies out of the Vote except for results sought for by the Council.In consequence, no sums have been paid to the Scottish Meteorological Society out of the Vote during the last two years; but the Secretary of the Society has been appointed by the Council its Inspector for Scotland, at an annual salary of £150; and, further, the Council has promised to allow the Society £100 a-year towards the maintenance of an observatory on Ben Nevis, if one is established.