t Ouvaroff:

ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH,
_1847, Oct. 22_.

SIR,

Referring to your Excellency's letter of the 24 August/5 September,
and to my answer of the 25th September, in which I expressed my sense
of the high honor conferred on me by His Majesty the Emperor of Russia
in offering me, through your Excellency, the Order of St Stanislas,
and my pride in accepting it:--I beg leave further to acquaint you
that I have thought it necessary to make enquiry of Lord John Russell,
First Lord of Her Majesty's Treasury, as to my competency to accept
this decoration from His Majesty the Emperor of Russia: and that his
Lordship in reply has referred me to the following Regulation of the
British Court;

"5th. That no Subject of Her Majesty could be allowed to accept the
Insignia of a Foreign Order from any Sovereign of a Foreign State,
except they shall be so conferred in consequence of active and
distinguished services before the Enemy, either at Sea, or in the
Field; or unless he shall have been actually employed in the Service
of the Foreign Sovereign."

In consequence of the stringency of this Regulation, it is my duty now
to state to your Excellency that I am unable to accept the decoration
which His Majesty the Emperor of Russia was pleased, through your
Excellency, to offer to me.

I beg leave to repeat the expression of my profound reverence to His
Majesty and of my deep sense of the honor which he has done me.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your Excellency's very faithful
and obedient servant,
G.B. AIRY.

_To His Excellency
Count Ouvaroff,
&c. &c._

In the course of the following year a very handsome gold medal,
specially struck, was transmitted by Count Ouvaroff on the part of the
Emperor of Russia, to Mr Airy.

1848

"In April I received authority to purchase of Simms an 8-inch
object-glass for the new Transit Circle for _L300_. The glass was
tested and found satisfactory. While at Playford in January I drew the
first plans of the Transit Circle: and C. May sketched some
parts. Definite plans were soon sent to Ransomes and May, and to Simms
in March. The instrument and the building were proceeded with during
the year. The New Transit Circle was to be erected in the Circle
Room, and considerable arrangement w