30 PROCEEDIXGS OF TUB 



We show tliis by reserving' tlie right to put any Fellow we may 

 remove in suit tor the recovery of arrears. With this salve to 

 our consciences we have to be satisfied. Our Council wisely 

 protect us against ourselves by treating our threat as the brutum 

 fulmen it really is. Our cliiei: concern, however, is with cases of 

 another chararter. Out of regard for the higher interests of the 

 Society, we give authority to our Council to deal, after three 

 defaults, with an 'Annual Contribution' exactly as we already 

 have empowered thein to deal, at once, with an 'Admission Fee.' 

 We must, if we wish to benefit the Society, transfer this authority 

 to an earlier bye-law, and so enable Council to exercise that 

 power, in suitable cases, without delay. 



For the moment, however, we are more concerned vi-ith new 

 duties than old derelictions. Our existing procedure cannot be 

 continued. AVe must temper our well-meant leniency in cases 

 of default from whatever cause arising, with justice to our common 

 good. We no longer possess the riglit to retain on the ' List of 

 the Society ' for a single session the name of any Fellow whose 

 annual contribution has not been paid in advance, to the exclusion 

 from Fellowship of a candidate prepared to pay not only an annual 

 contribution but an additional admission fee. 



At the same time, something has to be said on the other side. 

 The penalty we do eventually inipose, in cases of default to pay 

 ' Annual Subscriplions ' in advance, is removal. This penalty is, in 

 certain cases, far too harsh and drastic. 



When we look, in our ' Proceedings,' at the accounts of the 

 business transacted at our Anniversary Meetings, we find that we 

 impose the penalty of removal both upon non-resident and upon 

 resident Fellows. The cases of these two classes of Fellows are 

 not the same. The removal of a non-resident Fellow should be 

 supererogatory. If a non-resident Fellow has complied with our 

 order eitlier to provide security for the payment of liis animal 

 C(mtributions or to compound for these contributions by a single 

 paynient, it is obvious that he never can be in arrear. If the 

 payments of a non-resident Fellow ever be in arrear it is obvious 

 that he has not complied with one of our bye-laws. We have, 

 moreover, ruled tliat until a non-resident Fellow shall have com- 

 plied with this order he is not qualified to appear for admission. 



We have ruled that if any Fellow refuse to sign his obligation 

 to the Society when he appears for admission, tlie election of that 

 l''ellow is void. We have implied our intention to regard as void 

 the election of any Fellow who fails to appear for admission within 

 a prescribed period. ^,V(i ought then, a /o/-//o/'i, to regard as void 

 the election of a non-resident Fellow who has failed to qualify to 

 present himself in person for admission. The fact that a non- 

 resident Fellow has fallen into arrear with his atmual contributions, 

 shows us that his election should have been made void before the 

 necessity for his removal could arise. 



