12 



The Council, in endeavouring to carry out the wishes of the 

 Society in the matter of retrenchment, had reduced the publi- 

 cation of the Proceedings from 500 to 300 copies; but with- 

 out any adequate saving, seeing that the difference arising 

 therefrom was only 4s. 6d. on each sheet of 16 pages. They 

 therefore recommended a discontinuance of the arrangement 

 with the proprietors of the Royal Institution. 



The following members were recommended to be elected 

 upon the Council, viz. : — the Rev. II. H. Higgins, and Messrs. 

 Byerley, Picton, J. p. G. Smith, and Sansom. 



The Treasurer having read his financial statement, the 

 Society proceeded to ballot for Office-bearers for the cur- 

 rent Session — fvide ante), J. B. Yates, Esq., was chosen 

 President ; and the Treasurer having expressed a wish to retire, 

 Edward Heath, Esq., was elected to that office. 



Dr. Booth then read the following valedictory address : — 



" Gentlemen, — ^Previously to resigning the Chair to my suc- 

 cessor, permit me to address to you a very few words. It is 

 much easier to be diffuse and verbose than very concise and 

 brief. I will not now detain you with any lengthened dis- 

 quisition on that very stale and trite subject, the progress of 

 science ; indeed in some sense we might say the retrogression 

 of science. So far as popular interest is concerned, that tlje zeal 

 for the diffusion of knowledge and earnest endeavours to 

 render tangible this zeal should, in the educated mass, suffer 

 a reaction — a reflux, if we may speak — is no more than we 

 find from time to time taking place in other objects of popular 

 solicitude. We experienced it in our works of charity — of 

 sanitary improvement — of the promotion of Christian know- 

 ledge — the sending out of missionaries — the abolition of 

 slavery, and such like. Each of these questions for a time 

 takes hold of the public mind, absorbs its attention, and is 

 accordingly advanced a step towards perfection ; and it is 

 perhaps a wise arrangement that this should be so. Such 

 questions are undoubtedly further advanced and promoted by 



