THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 29 



made the world liis nuiiket and inude him one of the 

 world's benefactors, in that he has brought fine-art prod- 

 ucts down to a price within the reach of the humblest. 

 If he allowed himself to accept any praise, he said it was 

 as one who had popularized good art. 



Monday Evening, Ajynl 19, 1897. — Regular meeting 

 in the Library room. There was offered for considera- 

 tion a letter from " The Academy of Natural Sciences " of 

 Philadelphia, calling attention to a meeting of the Inter- 

 national Postal Congress to be held in Washington, D. C, 

 on May 5, 1897, to consider, among other subjects, an 

 amendment to the present postal laws, " which will admit 

 specimens of natural history to the mails at the rate for 

 samples of merchandise, that is to say, at one cent for 

 every two ounces." 



The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia had 

 adopted resolutions approving of the proposed amend- 

 ment, and requesting the Essex Institute to adopt similar 

 resolutions and send them to the Postmaster-General at 

 Washington. 



The following resolutions to that effect were offered and 

 unanimously adopted : 



Resolved: That the Essex Institute heartily concurs in 

 the action taken by the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, recommending to the coming International 

 Postal Congress, at the instance of our Sister Republic of 

 Switzerland, a reduction in the rates of postage upon 

 mailable specimens in Natural History to the rates im- 

 posed upon samples of merchandise, the same to affect the 

 mail service of the Universal Postal Union. 



Resolved: That the Essex Institute respectfully urges 

 the amendment, to be proposed by the Swiss Government, 

 upon the favorable consideration of the Postmaster-Gen- 



