Council Minutes 1884-1890

Minutes of meetings taken by Edgar Worthington, Secretary. Signed by Secretary and successive Presidents. Meetings held at the Institution headquarters, 19 Victoria Street and then Birdcage Walk.

Routine matters discussed include: financial accounts; nominations, resignations and decease of members; lists of papers; and publications received or exchanged.

Items of note include (by meeting date):   

24 Jan-18 Dec 1884. Member's ballot results. Question of printing members papers. Methods of recording minutes from AGM. Draft advertisement for Secretary's post. Constitutional discussions. Letter from Bell to Walter Browne on his resignation. Letter from James Beale, solicitor, on elections and bye-laws. Tenders for reprinting Proceedings. Resignation of Bernhardt Samuelson from Council. Changes to library hours. Report of Clayton Scud more Beauchamp on friction experiments to be read at AGM. Modifications to bye-laws. Changes to library rules and appointment of Library Committee.

29 Jan-18 Dec 1885. confidentiality of Council meetings discussed. Constitutional matters, including letter from James Beale, solicitor. Proposal to hold meeting at the International Exhibition, Paris. Refusal of purely theoretical papers. End of Research Sub-Committee on Steel .Liege engineers invited to attend and contribute to Summer Meeting. Request for Institutional exemption from property tax.

4 Feb-17 Dec 1886. Investment in Taff Vale Railway. Request for support in establishing an engineering department at University College, Cardiff. Appointment of Patent's Enquiry Committee. Discussion with Science and Art Department at South Kensington Museum over models. Charles Cochrane declines Presidency. Provision for members to comment in absentia on papers read at meetings .

3 Feb-16 Dec 1887. Tribute to Sir Joseph Whitworth. Copy of invitation to George Frederick William Charles, Duke of Cambridge to anniversary dinner. Letter from Secretary of committee for founding an Imperial Institute in the colonies. Engagement of staff and conditions. Research Committee on Marine-Engine Trials funded. Committee formed to consider membership recruitment (no name given). Changes to balloting system. Views on Boiler Registry and Inspections Bill. Reports from Research Committees (on Riveted Joints, Steam-Jacket).

2 Feb-19 Dec 1888. Changes to bye-laws. Jeremiah Head disapproves of accepting Indian members. Debentures in Taff Vale Railway and Rhymney Railway. Exchanges over the Paris International Exhibition. Discussion of Architect's Registration Bill. Parliamentary Committee formed. Conferral of Honorary degrees on members of Institution by Dublin University. Proposed visit of American engineers. Research Committee expenses and statements. Contact with Institution of Civil Engineers over proposed visit of Americans.

1 May-18 Dec 1889. Further discussion on Architect's Bill. Decisions on abbreviated designation for members. President declines second year of office. Extended office accommodation. Proposed reinstating of Research Committee on Steel. Letter from Gustav Eiffel of the Societe des Ingenieurs Civils following Paris visit. Further discussion on member's abbreviation. Letter on taxation of machinery; follow-up discussion. Negotiations on office rent. Problems with proofs of Annual Report.

29 Jan-17 Dec 1890. Prince of Wales elected as Honorary Life Member of the Institution. Presentation to authors of as many copies of their papers as desired. Letter from Bryan Johnson offering to fund scholarship for Lancashire scholar (declined). Loan of Blenkinsop Rail to South Kensington Museum. Honorary jurors nominated for exhibition of Electrical Engineering in Edinburgh. Alteration in bye-laws proposed by John Macfarlane Gray and discussed.