Star.
London, England, 1830-11-27 00:00:00

ROYAL SOCIETY.

Thursday night a Meeting of the above Society was held in the So-
ciety's Apartments, Somerset House, Davies Gilbert Esq. M.P. the
President, in the chair. A variety of donations made to the Society
were announced, and thanks voted for the same.
Sir Jesus SOUTH complained that there was no notice taken of •
book presented by him to the Society, entitled " Charges to be brought
by Sir James South, against the Royal Society ;" the voting of thanks
for such a work, was to him (Sir J. South) a matter of mere indiffer-
ence, hut he thought it was a matter of gtwx consequence to the So-
ciety, that all donations of whatever desaiption, should be from time
to time laid before the Fellows in public meeting assembled •, a differ.
ent course, he contended, might lead to the keeping back of necessary
information ; at all events it was a system that ought to be discoun-
tenanced ; no officer of the Society ought to have it in his power to de.
cide what presents should or should not be publicly acknowledged.
Dr. Granville, Mr. Babbage, Mr. Hawkins, and several others rose
to order ; they were of opinion that the usual course of the meeting
ought not to be disturbed, no previous notice of motion on the subject
under discussion having been given.
A scene of much confusion then ensued, Members vociferating
" Hear, hear," "Chair, chair," " Proceed with business," " No in-
terruption," &c.
The CIIAIRMAN having gained a hearing, said that the practice
usually adopted in the House of Commons as to the forms of proceed-
ing with business was adhered to usually by the society ; and he did
not know, however, if that circumstance was any recommendation.—
(Laughter.) The bye laws certainly required notice to be given.—
While he was on his legs, he begged to offer some explanation of the
omission complained of by Sir James South. The work alluded to had
certainly been presented to the society a copy of it had also been
presented to himself—(a laugh)--and though it reflected In tolerably
strong terms against him, he (the President) should preserve it with
great care; In that book there was a passage to the effect, that if he.
the author (Sir James South) should be expelled the society, he should
consider it no disgrace, as it was no honour to belong to it, as
it was at present constituted. Now, continued the President, it was
considered rather out of the way of usual business to give a vote of
thanks for a work which contained such a sweeping censure. (Hear,
laughter, and applause.)
-

- . .. .
Sir J. SOUTIE again presented binnelf, and began to address the
Chair, but was completely coughed down; he then took up his bat,
and quitted the meeting in dudgeon.

The usual business was next disposed of, after which the meeting se-
parated•

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

KENT.

Altogether things wear a more tranquil aspect in Kent. There have
been few riotous assemblages of the pasantry, the general rise in wages
having given much satisfaction to the labowen ; and although two or
three Gres have occurred, they have been of minor importance, and the
value of the property destroyed is not considerable. It has been observed
that very little wheat has been of late destroyed, other produce being
generally, it appears, selected by the incendiaries--compunction perhaps
in one respect only. The most serious occurrence is the attempt at
assassination directed against a gentleman engaged in the night
patrol of a parish in this neighbourhood. We trust we shall hear no
more of this.—Seal Herald of yesterday.