5 



fore justified in refusing to put tlie question " that the 

 proposed alterations be put seriatim" or at all events 

 that, as a majority of two thirds of the Fellows present 

 chose to allow the President's motion to be put and 

 to accept the alterations en masse, no objection can be 

 taken on this point, there having been no violation of 

 the Bye-laws. 

 3. That the repeal of Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter XII. 

 of the Bye-laws and the alteration of Section 7 of the 

 same Chapter are not in contravention of the Society's 

 Charter. That the Librarian is not, and never has 

 been, an annual Officer ; and that there is nothing in 

 the Charter to the efiect that the Fellows shall appoint 

 or remove him. That in fact the Charter leaves the 

 matter to be dealt with by the Bye-laws, which Bye- 

 laws may be altered from time to time. And further 

 that if the Librarian must necessarily be elected by 

 the Fellows at large, then the same rule must extend 

 to every Officer and Servant of however low a grade 

 in the employment of the Society (even to domestic 

 Servants), which would render the management of the 

 affairs of the Society almost impracticable. 



At a Special General Meeting of the Society held on the 5th 

 March last the following resolution was carried by a majority of 

 the Fellows present, " That inasmuch as it appears that there are 

 " differences of opinion in the Society as to the legality of the 

 " alterations of the Bye-laws made at the Meeting on the 15th of 

 " January last, this Meeting, retaining complete confidence in the 

 " President and Council of the Society, request them (1) to obtain 

 " the opinion of some legal authority whether those alterations 

 " are binding on the Society or not. (2) That if the opinion be 

 " that the said alterations are legally binding, no further steps 

 "be taken in reference to them. (8) That if the opinion be that 

 " the said alterations, or any of them, are not legally binding, the 

 " Council be requested to take the necessaryproceedings for setting 

 " aside the vote of the 15th of January." 



In pursuance of this Eesolution, and if agreeable to your 

 Lordship, the President and Council of the Society request the 

 favour of your Lordship's opinion upon the following questions. 



