A paper on “Gravitation” was read by Mr. T. Lovel Atkinson, M.A., LL.B.

In opening the subject the lecturer said that, from noticing the attraction of the Earth on bodies near the surface, we are naturally led to enquire as to how far this attraction influence extends and also as to whether a similar influence is exerted by other heavenly bodies and particularly the Sun.

He mentioned the early ideas with regard to the shape of the planetary objects & stated the three laws of planetary motion discovered by Kepler merely from observation, and then went on to show how Newton proved that all these could be accounted for by the law of Universal Gravitation which he discovered & how in fact the tenth of the law follows as a consequence from them.

Further proof is to be found in the prediction made by two independent mathematicians of the existence of Neptune at a time when it had bot been discovered and more recent observations of binary stars show that the law of Universal Gravitation is not confined to the Solar System.