L1NNEA.N SOCIETI OE LONDON. IT 



A^jril 7, and read the statement of facts u])oii which he liad, on his 

 own initiative, submitted to the K,ight Hon. tSir Edwaixl Fry, P.O., 

 F.E.S., F.L.S., for his opinion, the following questions : — 



1. Was the Council correct in interpreting the Bye-Laws, 

 Chap. V. Sect. III., to mean that a simple majority, and not a 

 two-thirds vote, is all that is required for the valid election of au 

 Associate ? 



"2. Assuming that the previous question is so answered as to 

 establish the validity of the election on I'ehruary 18, — is the validity 

 of that election materially affected by the fact that the election was 

 not declared at that Meeting and does not appear in the Minutes of 

 that Meeting? 



3. Was the declaration of the Election made at the Meeting on 

 March 17 a valid declaration ; and is its validity impaired by the fact 

 that the Minutes of that Meeting, in which the declaration was 

 included, were not approved at the Meeting on April 7 ? 



To these questions Sir Edward Fry replied at once to the 

 effect : — 1. That in his opinion the Council's reading of the Bye- 

 Laws in relation to the election of an Associate is correct, and that 

 clearly a bare majority only is required ; 2. That the validity of 

 the election on the 18th February was not materially affected by 

 the fact that the election was not declared at that Meeting nor 

 mentioned in the Minutes, nor is a declaration a vital pai*t of the 

 election under Chap. V. ; 3. That as the Charter charges the 

 Council with the direction of the business of the Society, it was 

 competent for that body to act as they did, and for the Chairman 

 with their approval to declare on the 17th March the result of the 

 election on the 18th February, which by an error had not been 

 declared at the proper time, and, under the circumstances, was a 

 proper step to take. 



Upon this the President moved that the Minutes of the General 

 Meeting of the 17th March be approved and invited discussion, in 

 which Mr. Henry Groves, Prof. G. S. Bouiger, Sir Ernest Clarke, 

 Mr. S. Moore (who moved the previous question, which was not 

 seconded), and the Treasurer took part. On the motion being put 

 by show of hands, of the 64 Fellows present, 43 voted for the 

 motion, and 10 against: the Minutes were accordingly signed. 

 Mr. George Murray having contributed a few remarks, the President 

 moved a vote of thanks to Sir Edward Fry, whose opinion had been 

 of so much assistance in clearing up the legal points involved, 

 which vote was carried by acclamation. 



Mr. John Hopkinson then moved, and Mr. E. Morton Middle- 

 ton seconded, a vote of thanks to the President for the care and 

 trouble he had taken in the matter, which was unanimously passed ; 

 and the President having briefly returned thanks, the incident 

 closed. 



