32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



reinstated lie should not be called upon to attend in person for 

 readmission. 



If a Fellow whose name has thus to be deleted from the List 

 has not been duly admitted to the Society, his original election 

 •should be regarded as void. Should such a Fellow desire to rejoin 

 th(i Socie(_y his name must be duly proposed for re-electiou and 

 couie up for consideration, unless the Council shall otherwise 

 recommend, in the order determined by the date on which the 

 paper proposing him for re-election is presented to the Society. 

 During the interval between his removal and his re-election he 

 should not enjoy any of the privileges of a Fellow. It will be for 

 Council to decide whether his Admission fee be remitted or not. 



The case of a Fellow who lias explained in writing beforehand 

 that he will be prevented from paying liis annual contribution on 

 the next ensuing -J4th day of May will, as in the past, be taken 

 into consideration by Council when his letter is laid before them. 

 Such a case, if the Fellow has not appeared in ])erson for admission, 

 may involve removal; or, if the Fellow has been duly admitted, 

 may involve suspension. At times, however, suspension of an 

 admitted Fellow may be deemed inappropriate. Council already 

 possess authority to deal with suitable cases by Special Order. 



All of us do not pay annual contributions. The Society, in 

 order to meet the convenience of the Fellows, gives everyone the 

 option of 'compounding for all future annual contributions by a 

 single payment.' This concession the Society is under no obliga- 

 tion to make. It is a grace or favour, not aright. In making the 

 concession, all that the Society has to do is to ensure that the 

 convenience thus offered sliall not interfere with, or injure, the 

 fommon good of the corporation. So far as resident Fellows 

 are concerned, the privilege is accorded unconditionally. In tlie 

 case of newly elected non-resident Fellows a condition appears 

 to attach to the privilege. We seem to order such a Fellow to 

 compound for his future contributions. This, however, is hardly 

 the case. AVhat we do is to order a newly elected non-resident 

 Fellow to provide security satisfactory to the Council that his future 

 contributions be paid. We only explain to such a Fellow that, if 

 he be unable to provide the necessary securit}^, 'composition' 

 affords him a convenient way out of his difficulty. 



The effects of this concession call for more careful consideration 

 than they usually receive. Those who have taken advantage of 

 the concession do not always appreciate how valuable it is. Those 

 who have not compounded do not always realise how harmful to 

 the Society any excessive use of the concessio:i may prove. The 

 concession is so familiar and so convenient that few of us can 

 contemplate with equanimity the necessity for its cessation. The 

 harm it does is, however, so manifest that it ought not to continue 

 in its present form. 



In theory a 'composition fee' should be as satisfactory as a 

 series of annual contributions, since such a fee should add to the 



