The solar motion found from the radial velocities of 70 globular clusters is 167 ± 30 km/s with an apex which does not deviate from the direction of the Sun's galactic rotation. A small and scarcely significant apparent contraction of the system is found which could be produced by systematic errors in the velocities found from low dispersion spectra. The radial velocities provide no conclusive evidence for differential motion in the cluster system either as a function of galactocentric distance or of integrated spectral type: large errors are inherent in these solutions, however, because of the small samples of clusters available, their unfavourable galactic distribution and large peculiar motions. It is shown that field RR Lyrae stars of the same period range as those occurring in globular clusters have the same solar motion and velocity dispersion as the clusters; it is suggested that these stars and the clusters have a common origin. A scatter diagram of the ratio of the radial velocity to the circular velocity against the angle subtended at the cluster by the Sun and the galactic centre confirms von Hoerner's conclusion that the cluster orbits are mainly highly eccentric. A high eccentricity ( e = 0.8) is also found by considering the mean galactic rotation of the cluster system. A simple model is used to determine the distribution of mass in the Galaxy from the cluster motions. The results are consistent with Schmidt's model except possibly at galactocentric distances beyond 12 kpc. The mean angular momentum per unit mass of the cluster system and of the rest of the Galaxy is shown to be the same. The bearing of this on the origin of the cluster system is briefly discussed.