▁param ount ▁in ▁establish ing ▁a ▁more ▁formal ized ▁ref ere eing ▁process ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁Sto kes ' s ▁Pres iden cy ▁ended , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁that ▁his ▁influence ▁over ▁the ▁journal ▁dimin ished . ▁The ▁introduction ▁of ▁fixed ▁terms ▁for ▁Society ▁officers ▁pre cluded ▁subsequent ▁edit ors ▁from ▁taking ▁on ▁Sto kes ' s ▁mant le , ▁and ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁Society ▁operated ▁its ▁editor ial ▁practices ▁more ▁collect ively ▁than ▁it ▁had ▁done ▁since ▁the ▁mechan isms ▁for ▁it ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - n in ete enth ▁century , ▁the ▁procedure ▁of ▁getting ▁a ▁paper ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Trans actions ▁still ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁reading ▁of ▁papers ▁by ▁a ▁Fellow . ▁Many ▁papers ▁were ▁sent ▁immediately ▁for ▁printing ▁in ▁abstract ▁form ▁in ▁Pro ceed ings ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society . ▁But ▁those ▁which ▁were ▁being ▁considered ▁for ▁printing ▁in ▁full ▁in ▁Trans actions ▁were ▁usually ▁sent ▁to ▁two ▁ref ere es ▁for ▁comment ▁before ▁the ▁final ▁decision ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Pap ers . ▁During ▁Sto kes ' s ▁time , ▁authors ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁discuss ▁their ▁paper ▁at ▁length ▁with ▁him ▁before , ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁its ▁official ▁submission ▁to ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Pap ers . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁the ▁Trans actions ▁split ▁into ▁series ▁" A " ▁and ▁" B ", ▁dealing ▁with ▁the ▁physical ▁and