§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can now inform the House of the result as regards the pressure which on the 28th ultimo he stated it would be desirable to bring to bear on the Meteorological Council of the Royal Society, with the object of inducing that body to allow from the annual grant of £15,300 voted to it by Parliament more sufficient funds to the Scottish Meteorological Society for the purpose of continued maintenance of Ben Nevis Observatory, so that a settlement of the question may be reached this year, by which means the necessity for private generosity will be obviated; if he can explain how it is that of the grant of £15,300 no less a sum than £991 5s. is absorbed for remuneration to its own Council and £800 as salary to the Secretary; and whether he will take steps to reduce such salaries, amounting for management alone to one-eighth of the total sum voted?
§ MR. HANBURYI have heard from the Chairman and Secretary of the Council on this subject. It appears that notice of the intended closing of the Ben Nevis Observatory only reached them on the 25th ultimo, and this without any particulars or statement as to the financial position. The nest meeting of the Council will probably be held in the middle of October, when I presume that Dr. Buchan, the Secretary of the Scottish Meteorological Society, who is also a member of the Meteorological Council, will bring the matter before his colleagues, as it is clearly his duty to do. The views of the Treasury will be laid before them at the same time. As regards the payments to the Council, these are as approved by the Treasury in 1877, on the recommendation of a strong Committee, when the present system was introduced. The salary of the Secretary dates from before 1877 at its present figure, and there has been no change in the holder of the office. Mr. W. H. Smith noted in 1877 that the amount should be reconsidered on a vacancy, and this will be done.