Meteoro It is considered to be doubtful whether meteorological logic Office. science has yet arrived at sufficient perfection to admit of forecasts' of the weather being made with any certainty. But it is undeniable that great public benefits have resulted from the labours of Admiral FitzRoy, who, until his lamented decease in 1865, had the oversight and direction of this department. The system of utilising the observations of meteorological phenomena for the benefit of our seafaring population, which was introduced into England by Admiral FitzRoy, is being gradually adopted throughout the European continent;" and the British Government have been at considerable pains to ascertain by what method these researches could be best continued so as to secure more decided and permanent advantages to humanity.* After the death of Admiral FitzRoy, the Government applied to the Royal Society to be advised as to the expediency of continuing the annual grants of money for the publication of forecasts' in the present state of the science of meteorology. This led to the appointment of a departmental Committee to consider of the Meteorological Department, its origin, functions, the degree of success it has hitherto met with, and the improvements required for its more efficient service. This Committee presented an elaborate report containing much valuable information. They advised that the issue of daily forecasts' of the weather should be abandoned, as they had not proved to be generally accurate or useful; that the issue of storm warnings' should be continued, but on an improved plan; and that new and more comprehensive duties should be assigned to this department for the furtherance of meteorological investigations, as well for purposes of practical utility as for the advancement of science." y Hans. Deb. vol. clxxix. p. 1278. Report of Meteorological Committee, Commons Papers, 1866, vol. lxv. p. 329. At this juncture a change of ministry occurred. Up to the close of the session of 1866 no steps had been taken in pursuance of the foregoing recommendations; but the new Derby administration undertook to give them a prompt and careful consideration." Early in the year 1867, after further communications. between the Board of Trade, the Admiralty, the Treasury, and the Royal Society, it was announced that the Government, feeling itself incompetent to deal with a purely scientific matter, had resolved upon detaching the Meteorological Office from the Board of Trade, and transferring it to the management of a Scientific Committee appointed by the Royal Society (of which the Hydrographer to the Admiralty should be a member), who would give their time, labour, and talents gratuitously. This Committee is now charged with the duties heretofore performed by the Meteorological Department. Its operations comprise three distinct branches:-1. Collec tion of ocean statistics; 2. Issue of weather reports; 3. Establishment of meteorological observations in the British Isles. The new office is considered as being wholly separated from the state; its officers are appointed and controlled by the Scientific Committee aforesaid, and have been notified that they are not civil servants of the crown, or entitled to superannuation, or compensation allowances in the event of the abolition of their offices. But all appointments must be submitted for the approval of the Board of Trade, and the cost of the establishment is defrayed out of a vote (fixed for the year 1868-9 at 10,000.) for the Meteorological Committee appointed by the Royal Society, at the request of the Government, to conduct meteorological observations and experiments." The 'storm warnings' were entirely given up for a 6 a Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxiv. p. 1661. Papers relating to the Meteorological Department, Board of Trade, Čom. Papers, 1867, vol. lxiii. p. 497. Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxvii. p. 1731; "b vol. clxxxviii. p. 1733. Civil Service Estimates, 1868-9, Class IV. No. 1. Report of the Meteorological Committee for the year 1867, presented to Parliament in 1868. Depart ordinate to time as not being founded upon a sufficiently ascertained basis; but in consequence of strong remonstrances from various parts of the kingdom, by and on behalf of persons engaged in the coasting trade, against this determination which were regularly referred for the consideration of the Scientific Committee-while the department still declines to prognosticate what will be the weather on any future day, the circulation of information on the subject of storms has been partially resumed. The weather reports continue to be published as heretofore, and information is now being collected from which it is confidently anticipated that 'sooner or later' positive rules for prognosticating the weather can safely be framed. In January 1868, several land meteorological observatories' were established; and the department began again to transmit telegrams to the principal ports on the sea coast announcing the existence of atmospheric disturbances elsewhere. These messages, which are now limited to a notice of "existing facts," are obviously capable of extension hereafter, in proportion as the basis upon which sound meteorological anticipations may rest shall be enlarged.' Arrangements have also been made for the daily interchange of meteorological information between England and France. The following departments are subordinate to the Board ments sub- of Trade, under the provisions of the several Acts of Parthe Board. liament constituting the same, viz.-The General Register and Record Office of Seamen; the Joint-stock Companies' Registration Office; the Designs Office; the Inspectors of Alkali Works; the Inspectors of Proving Establishments for Chain Cables and Anchors; the Inspectors of Lime Com. Papers, 1867, vol. lxiv. pp. 185, 205, 209. Hans. Deb. vol.clxxxv. p. 401. Ibid. vol. clxxxvii. p. 1731; vol. clxxxviii. pp. 426, 1188, 1736. See further particulars, with the new forms, &c., Commons Papers, 1867-8, Nos. 10, 96. e General Sabine's Address to the Royal Society, November 30, 1867. See Commons Papers, 1867-8, No. 181. Juice; the Inspector of Oyster Fisheries; and the Inspectors of Corn Returns. For the number of persons employed in these offices, and their remuneration, see the Civil Service Estimates for 1868-9, Class II. pp. 17-19. THE LORD PRIVY SEAL. This is an office of great trust, and of a highly impor- Lord Privy tant character. It is nevertheless one of the offices of Seal. which the actual duties are neither onerous nor burdensome. They consist in applying the privy seal once or twice a week to a number of patents. From the time of Henry VIII., the privy seal has been the warrant of the legality of grants from the crown, and the authority of the Lord Chancellor for affixing the great seal. All grants of the crown for appointments to office, creation of honours, licenses, patents of inventions, pardons, &c., must be made by charters or letters patent under the great seal, and the command to the Lord Chancellor to prepare such a document is (as a general rule) by means of a writ or bill sealed with the privy seal, because the queen cannot herself make letters patent except by means of her ministers, who act according to her legal commands. Therefore, when a patent is written, the words by writ of privy seal' are inscribed, to show by what authority the Lord Chancellor seals the grant. This office was reformed and regulated by the Act 14 and 15 Vict. c. 82. g The incumbent of this high office is invariably a Cabinet minister. Having but light official duties, he is at liberty to afford assistance to the administration in other ways, and is very often called upon to bestow his attention on See Report on Office of Privy Seal, Commons Papers, 1849, vol. xxii. p. 453.-Full particulars in regard to the instruments which now pass the Great Seal, pursuant to warrants signed by the king, without warrants of Privy Seal, pointing out subjects which require to be investigated by a member of the Government. Sometimes the Lord Privy Seal is despatched on a special mission abroad, at which times the seal is put into commission. This occurred when Lord Durham held the office, and afterwards when Lord Minto was Privy Seal." The office is sometimes held in connection with another; for example, in 1860, during the temporary absence, upon public service abroad, of Lord Elgin, the then Postmaster-General, the Duke of Argyll, the Lord Privy Seal, was also appointed Postmaster-General pro tem., but he only received one salary for the two offices-namely, that of Postmaster-General, which is 2,500l. per annum, while the salary attached to the office of Privy Seal is 2,000l. There is no patronage attached to this office, excepting in the appointments of a private secretary and two clerks, who transact the whole business of the office.' Origin of this office. THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR. The authority which appertains to this high functionary of state is declared by the Statute 5 Eliz. c. 18 to be identical with that of the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. According to Sir Edward Coke, the name is derived from his power of cancelling (a cancellando ') the king's letters patent when they are granted contrary to law. His proper title is 'Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Ireland,' the great seal which he holds testifying to the will of the sovereign in regard to acts that concern the whole empire; though there are some patents which are confined in their operation to Scotland or Ireland respectively, and which pass under the great seals appropriate to those particular parts of the United Kingdom. The office is conferred by the sovereign himself for h Report on Official Salaries, 1850, Evid. 325, 1383, 1386, 1418 1423, 1436. And see Hans. Deb. vol. clxvi. p. 1019. i Hans. Deb. vol. clix. p. 1235. Rep. Off. Sal. 1850, Evid. 1447, 1448. Civil Service Estimates 1868-9, Class II. No. 15. |