Faraday to Charles Richard Weld   24 June 1850

Royal Institution | 24 June 1850

My dear Sir

In reference to your letter I have to inform you & the Council that I have seen Mr. Bate and examined various documents which I called for, in order that I might in some degree audit the account you sent me from him¹; and have the following remarks to make.

The works referred to were no doubt undertaken at the time; i.e. in the years 1832-1836; and the present Mr. Bate has letters from Mr. Baily², who was then Treasurer of the Royal Society, of dates 27 April and 9th May 1836 (which I have seen), requiring that the account should be sent in. I understand the account was not sent in; but of that I have no knowledge.

The first item in the bill is for apparatus ordered on the 13th Jany 1835, as may be seen at page 6 (second paying) of the proceedings of the Excise Committee³.

The second item is for various fittings of a large balance and other apparatus in a room at Mr. Bate’s house, and was money paid out; of which I have seen the bill & receipt[.]

The third item is for money paid out for spirit and bottles used in the experiments reported in the proceedings of the Committee:- I have seen the bill & receipt. About one half of the spirit remains and all the bottles, and if it be considered as the property of the Royal Society, or rather of the Government, should either be claimed or else disposed of in part liquidation of the debt.

In relation to the fourth item I have examined such documents as were placed before me and find notes of 69 days of experimental working, and 14 days of attendance on the Committee at Somerset house and elsewhere, making 83 days. In a note from the present Mr. Bate to myself he makes the days 94; and there are days mentioned in the records, as those on which instructions were received, making up this difference. The item says “say 6 months from March 1835 to this date” (Jany 27, 1836) - but the 83 or 92 dates I have verified extend from 11 Decr. 1832 to 27 Jany 1836. Mr. Bate assumes that half as much more time would be occupied with calculations, writing out fair &c; in reference to which I ought to remark that the entry for Jany 12, 13, 14, 1836 is for entering experiments and making corrections in the Royal Society’s book; which perhaps leads to the inference that time so occupied was always noted. I am unable at this long deferred date, even by the aid of the documents, to say whether the 83 or 94 days might be considered each as a day of paid employment for three persons, or whether there was not in them plenty of time for calculation & notes:- and therefore whether the assumption of half as many more for the latter purpose is right or not.

The fifth item is for four hydrometers ordered by the Committee and the receipt of which is acknowledged by a letter in Mr. Robertons⁴ hand writing[.]

The sixth item is for an instrument ordered at the time and recently delivered in (as I am told) to the Royal Society[.]

I am My dear Sir | Very Truly Yours | M. Faraday

C.R. Weld Esq | &c &c &c