82 



with the Committee that what had been done had conferred a permanent 

 benefit upon the Club.'. With reference to the remarks of the seconder 

 of the motion, no doubt his reference to what had been done elsewhere 

 was made in all good faith — but it was not everyone who had been a 

 Queketter long enough to remember the very strong battle which they had 

 upon this very question years ago — about the second year of the Club's 

 existence,* when a similar proposal was made. On that occasion all 

 the energies of the members was called out against it in a way that 

 few who took part in the matter were likely to forget, with the result 

 that when the proposition was put to the special meeting, convened 

 to consider it, only one vote — that of the mover — was recorded in favour of 

 it. He thought it was well to remind the gentleman who had just sat down 

 that the same feeling was still in existence, and that he and others might 

 lay the nattering unction to their hearts that if they re-introduced the 

 subject they would have the selfsame tigers to meet who attacked and 

 overthrew the proposition on the last occasion. They, at least, had an idea 

 that though the establishment of their Club might have embodied some 

 failings and some faults, it had proved to be as good as could have been 

 desired, and, inasmuch as this was felt to be the case by those who 

 had seen it grow and thrive from its earliest commencement, their motto 

 was emphatically " Let well alone." They were perfectly satisfied with it as 

 it was, and, therefore, had no desire to try any experiments, let any 

 other chartered Society do what it might. 



The motion was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. 



The President then read his annual Address. 



Mr. Chas. Stewart said he rose with very great pleasure to move a cordial 

 vote of thanks to the President for his Address. In past times they had had 

 Presidents who had filled the chair with great honour to themselves and to 

 the Club ; but of all those illustrious Presidents of the past, they had none 

 who had more efficiently carried out the duties of the office than the one 

 they were about to lose, for he had not only conducted their meetings with 

 an amount of ability and learning which could not fail to have been 

 remarked, but by courtesy and tact had endeared himself to all the mem- 

 bers of the Society. 



Mr. W. J. Brown having seconded the motion, it was put to the meeting 

 by Mr. Stewart, and carried unanimously. 



The President, in rising to thank the members for the very cordial way 

 in which this vote had been received and carried, said that it was to him a 

 noteworthy circumstance that the most important work of a pond-hunter, 

 and, indeed, the only work on " Fresh Water Algae," which had appeared 

 for 40 years, had been contemporaneous with his two years of office. The 

 first sheets were put in hand two years ago, and the last were finished only 

 during the past week, so that the work could be said to be that of the 

 President of the Qnekett Microscopical Club. Another thing which had 

 originated during his presidency was the establishment of a series of 

 demonstrations, which had not only been so useful and successful that 

 they hoped to be able to continue them, but they had redeemed the 



* March 27th, 1862. 



