358 Royal Colonial histUute. 



rearrangement of the accounts this year, by which the receipts for the annual dinner, 

 conversazione, and the dinner to the Governors-General of Australia and South Africa, 

 instead of being included in the total receipts for the year, have been deducted from 

 the payments on these accounts. If it had not been for this, the receipts for this 

 year would have shown an increase of £55 18s. Qd., instead of a total decrease of 

 £529 19s. U. 



!,„ As regards the payments, the Office is increased by £189 15s. lid., as compared with 

 1913, which is accounted for by a rise in the total salaries and pensions of £240 lis. 4(Z. 

 The increase in the Library and Newspaper Room is £171 2s. 9d. — £9'8 8s. 9d. in salaries, 

 and £73 15s. for furniture. House payments are increased by £46 13s. id. Organisation 

 expenses, £128 7s. 7d. Journal, £122 13s. 5d. ; but there is a decrease of £169 14s. M. 

 in the Year Booh. The Essay Competition shows an increase of £1 15 9s. on that of the 

 pre\aous year. The Balance Sheet shows that our liabilities are £1,091 Os. 4rd., while on 

 the other side our assets are lightly valued at £71,902 13s. lid. 



As this is the last opportunity I shall have of addressing you as Chairman of Coimcil, 

 I will ask your permission to recall, as shortly as possible, the history of the Institute, 

 and more especially the work which has been done during the last five years. The 

 progress as regards the number of its members since its foundation in 1868 to Decem- 

 ber 31, 1914, is shown by the diagram attached to the Report. It appears that 796 

 Fellows were recruited in the first ten years of the life of the Institute ; that the increase 

 in the next decade was 2,425 ; 918 in the third, and only 299 in the fourth decade from 

 1898 to 1908. In fact, between the years 1905 — 1908 the number of Fellows actually 

 decreased from 4;487 to 4,438. The increase of 2,425 in the decade 1878 — 1888 was in 

 a great measure due to the work of the Duke of Manchester, who was Chairman of 

 Council, backed up by the late Sir Frederick Young, at that time Honorary Secretary 

 of the Institute. After the death of the Duke of Manchester in 1890, the post of Chair- 

 man of Council was abolished, and the routine work of the Institute was left to the 

 Secretary, who prepared the agenda for the meetings of the Council. The members of 

 Council took it in turn alphabetically to preside at its meetings, and consequently no 

 one was responsible for preparing and carrying out any systematic scheme for advancing 

 the work of the Institute. This state of affairs continued for nineteen years, till 1909, 

 and it resulted in a general^stagnation of interest in the Institute, and an actual decrease 

 in its membership. 



Early in^l909 the discontent of the Fellows came to a head, and, on the requisition 

 of twenty-five of their number, a Special General Meeting was called " to consider the 

 revision of the Constitution of the Institute, with special reference to making the 

 Council more representative." The meeting was attended by nearly 200 Fellows ; a 

 very interesting discussion followed, and finally a resolution was unanimously agreed 

 to : " That the Constitution of the Royal Colonial Institute be "revised, with special 

 reference to making the Council more representative." A joint committee, consisting 

 of three members of the general body of the Fellows and three members of the Council, 

 was appointed " to consider the present rules and working of the Institute, and report 

 to the Council." The Committee consisted of Professor W. L. Grant, the late Mr. 

 Archibald Colquhoun and Mr. R. S. Bond, on behalf of the Fellows ; and of the late 

 Sir Nevile Lubbock, Dr. G. R. Parkin and myself, as representing the Council. 



Here I will take the opportimity of recording the great services rendered to the 

 Institute by the late Mr. Colquhoun, as it was entirely due to his initiative that this 

 Committee was appointed, which has resulted in the recent satisfactory progress of the 

 Institute. Mr. Colquhoun aftfiiwards became Editor of the Journal, and raised it from 



