rROCEEDIXOS AT GENERAL !^IEETINGR. 27 



animosity throughout Scotland towards them. There was this feeling — that they miglit 

 eertainly he quickt'iiod into more active life hy tlie infusion of a little new blood. 

 Tlicre were many points which friends of tlie Society couM ])ring before them, hut in 

 tluit "Black Hole of Calcutta" (the room being crowdeil) the present was not 

 the time for delaying the meeting nor the time for bringing uj) great i|uestions. 

 He did not wisli to l)ully the directors, hut there were certain jioints they might 

 inquire into, and if they did so, tliey would have the sup]>ort of the members of the 

 Society. 



Thenobh' ( 'iiaiuman said — that as lie thouglit this a question wliicli concerned the 

 Society as a wliole, he miglit say a few words on tlie sulqect. He thought Mr Mollison, 

 in suhniittiug tlie motion, scarcely quite aiq)reciated tlie difhculty, if not the danger, 

 of nuiking any alterations on the charter. His object in making the motion was to 

 give tlie Society greater powers ; but the charter, if he would look ujjou it at this jire- 

 -sent moment, conferred great i)Owers on the Society, anil his (the noble Cliairman's) 

 only fear was, that if tlie charter was once meddled with at all, it miglit jiossildy end 

 in the powers of the Society being further restricted rather than further enlarged. 

 He was only stating his own opinion. Ferliai)s there were others who had read 

 the charter, and had greater acciuaintance with it than he had. At the same time, 

 it must be admitted that great power existed in it lor the Society making new 

 regulations un<ler the name of bye-laws, and it is just possible that these nnght 

 be restricted if they were to seek an alteration in their charter. He was far from 

 saying that it was not possible for the charter of the Society to be improved. It had 

 been said that the directors made mistakes, as all human beings were apt to do, 

 ami that these were aggravated by the faults of the charter ; but they must recollect 

 that the charter, as it already existed, if it had mistakes, would be subjected to 

 human review, and be liable to other and perhaps worse ndstakes. He did not say 

 that that would be so, but they must look to that ])Ossibility in altering the 

 charter of a great society like theirs. He saw no dilhculty whatever to the 

 meeting acce])ting the motion if the mover consented to inseit after " changes " the 

 words " if any." If an ellicient committee were appointed, he thought the Society 

 might safely leave it to that comnnttee — if they hail contidence in the comndttee they 

 reconmiended to be ajipointed— to say whether there should lie any changes — whether 

 tliey were expedient or not. He thought Lord Huntly was to be congratulated on 

 seeing all his clnldren growing n]i so nicely, althougli they were rather knocked on the 

 head at the birth. They ])roved to the Society tliat the directors, to whom these things 

 were so otten left, M'ere not adverse to any changes because they were changes, but 

 they were anxious to give them due consideration ; and the fact of tlieir not seeing 

 tlieir way always to give effect to them when brought forward did not prejudice them 

 afterwards in bringing them forward, if they found they were for the good and advau- 

 tag(^ of the Society. 



Mr Mollison scarcely saw that the meaning of his motion was altered by what was 

 now suggested, l)ut to satisfy a large number of members on the point as to whether 

 there were restrictions or not, he thought members would go with him in voting for a 

 revisal of the charter. 



Mr Mautin, younger of Auchindennan, did not think time need be spent discussing 

 the question as "to the problematical idea of changes being required. By the charter 

 the board of directors was to consist of thirty members, residing in Edinburgh and 

 vicinity, and that had not been adhered to. Tliat was a tiling in reference to which 

 they were breaking the charter. When locomotion was dillicult it was necessary to 

 have directors near lOdinburgh to secure a quorum. But, going with the times, the 

 Society had appointed directors throughout the country generally. The existence, 

 however, of that regulation showed the necessity for alteration. 



The nol)le Chairm.vn said he understood that the motion did not necessarily carrj' 

 any change, and he was quite willing to accept it as it stood, with the explanation 

 given by Mr Mollison. When he s]ioke of seeking changes in a cliarter as not being 

 desirable, he meant to imply that (litticulties naght arise in getting a new one to meet 

 the exigencies of the Society, and in connection with their powers of nuiking bye-laws, 

 which might be taken away from them. 



Mr M'Leax, Carnwath House, moved '' that the secretary be instructed to send a 

 copy of the charter to all the members of the Society." 



Several gentlemen seconded the motion. 



The Ch.ukman — That motion, not having been given notice of, cannot be properly 

 carried ; but there will be no ditliculty, on tlie directors considering the matter, to let 

 any member get a copy of the charter. 



Mr Blue.s, Dalruscan, asked who appointed the committee ? 



The Chairmax, amid some laughter, read a bye-law giving that powei- to the 

 directors, and added, as he saw that it met with some disapprovnl, that that bye-law 

 was passed by the Society. 



