ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY 39 
17 of that year. While many of the changes introduced modified 
the organization of the Academy, they did not affect its char- 
acter or scope. The whole system of classes and sections was 
abolished, members were no longer required to take an oath of 
allegiance to the Government, and the provisions for impeach- 
ing and expelling members were omitted. The limitation in 
the number of members was removed, in accordance with the 
amended act of incorporation, and various changes were made 
in the manner of electing members. The time of meeting in 
Washington was changed from the third day of January to the 
third Tuesday in April. Persons not members were permitted to 
read papers upon invitation of the Academy. A clause was 
added to the constitution providing that “ bequests and trusts 
having for their object the advancement of science may be 
accepted and administered by the Academy.” 
As already mentioned, immediately upon the adoption of the 
revised constitution in April, 1872, twenty-five new members 
were elected. In a letter to the President of the Senate, dated 
February 23, 1873, Joseph Henry, President of the Academy, 
remarked on this action as follows: 
“The enlargement of the Academy has already had a most beneficial effect in 
stimulating the zeal of the younger men in the country who are devoted to scien- 
tific pursuits. A large number of the most valuable papers were contributed by 
the younger members at the recent session in Cambridge [November, 1872], and 
it is evident that the usefulness of the Academy is largely increased by being 
brought into closer sympathy with all the cultivators of science in the country.” 1° 
For lack of communications, or for some other reason, no 
scientific session was held in the fall of 1870 or 1871, and at that 
of April, 1872, only six papers were presented, one of them 
being a biographical memoir. It appears probable that the 
enlargement of the membership of the Academy was intended, 
in part, at least, to offset the waning interest in the meetings, and 
Professor Henry’s gratification at the strengthened programs 
which followed this action can be well understood. 
Through the solicitation of Captain Chas. F. Hall, who had 
undertaken two voyages into the Arctic regions, and a number of 
** Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. 1, pp. 100, ror. 
