John Frederick William Herschel to Faraday   6 November 1827¹

Dear Sir,

I recd yesterday too late to allow me an opportunity of seeing you before your leaving Town, your note of the 3d. I am glad to hear the Furnace and other preparations are in a state of forwardness and when you return hope the Experiments will commence.

I directed Mr Hudson to forward to you the report of the 3d Exp. in the glasshouse. That & the committee books² will put you in possession of all that has been done (together with your own recollection of what has passed under your eyes)[.]

On Saturday the 10th my astronomical pursuits call me to Slough, whence I am desirous to be as little as possible absent, so long as the state of the moon permits me to continue my observations. I will gladly however meet you and Mr Dollond³ any morning provided you arrange your times early enough to admit of my return to Slough before dark and will give me if possible sufficient notice & the choice of two days. With regard to the train of experiments you may think is necessary to engage in, Mr Dollond I am sure, as well as myself feel every disposition to defer to your superior chemical knowledge and wish to be as little a clog on your researches as possible. An essential point consist in preserving a very accurate detail of our proceedings and making (as we are bound to do) a full report of them, and perhaps it might be as well to meet periodically (in our capacity of a subcommittee) at stated or at least preconceived days) in order to pursue a strict formality in all we do. What say you to the following sketch

1. Mr Dollond Chairman

Mr. Faraday Journalist & Treasurer of the Subcommitee

Mr Herschel Secretary for the following year.

2. SC to hold regular meetings on (Tuesday?) next immediately adjacent to, or on the day of every full moon at ..... o’clock - except during the months of ....... in the Summer vacation and intermediate meetings when necessary[.]

3. A Regular Journal to be kept of all the experiments made and all the alterations made in the apparatus by the Journalist[.]

4. A book to be kept in which any one may enter any suggestion of an experiment to be considered by the S.C.

5. The Treasurer to keep an account of all expenses &c &c[.]

6. The business of the S.C. to be arranged as follows at the meetings.

1. Minutes of the last meeting[.]

2. Reconsideration thereof & confirmation[.]

3. Journal since the last meeting to be read.

4. Journal to be ordered to be entered on the minutes or (to save copying) regarded as part of them. (Yet perhaps a duplicate may be desirable in prudence)[.]

5. Treasurers account to be audited for the past month.

6. Results of experiments to be discussed[.]

7. Suggestions to be read and plans of future experiments to be considered.

7. The S.C to make 3 reports one after Christmas - one after Easter and one Annual summary at the first Council after the meeting of the Society in November[.] If you approve this plan and it also meets Mr Dollond’s approbation - the sooner we act on it the better.

Yours truly JFWH.