JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 135 



The Chancellor appointed as the special committee under the fourth 

 resolution, President Porter, Dr. Gray, and Dr. Maclean. 



On motion, it was resolved to consider the subject of election to fill 

 the vacancy in the office of Secretary of the Institution. 



Dr. Parker urged the propriety of deferring the election of Secretary 

 to a later meeting, as it might ap])ear iirecipitate to elect now. 



Senator Hamlin thought the Board ought to proceed at once to elect 

 a Secretary. To delay would be to invite great contention for the 

 office. 



Senator Withers thought the discussion should be confined to the 

 question of postponement. 



Dr. Parker then moved that the appointment of a permanent Secre- 

 tary be postponed until the next annual meeting in January, and sug- 

 gested that the Assistant Secretary might be invested with power to 

 perform all the functions of Secretary during the interim. 



Dr. Maclean said that when President Burr, of Princeton, died, his 

 successor. President Edwards, was elected the fourth day after. He 

 thought prompt action the wisest, and advocated the election of Pro- 

 fessor Baird. 



Mr. Clymer read the statute, and insisted that the Board was legally 

 bound to elect a Secretary. No funds could be drawn nor payments 

 made by any other officer, and an ad interim appointment was not pro- 

 vided for by the law of organization. 



General Garfield suggested to Dr. Parker that he withdraw his mo- 

 tion, and that the Board proceed to elect, so that action might be taken 

 of an affirmative rather than of a negative character. 



President Porter expressed the opinion that the Board could elect a 

 Secretary jpro tempore. 



Dr. Parker then withdrew his motion ; and the construction of the 

 statute by Mr. Clymer was agreed to by the majority of the Board. 



Mr. Clymer moved to proceed to the election of a Secretary j which 

 was agreed to. 



The Chancellor appointed Mr. Sargent and Mr. Clymer as tellers. 



The vote was then taken by ballot, and the tellers reported that eleven 

 ballots were cast, all of which were for Spencer Fnllerton Baird. 



Messrs. Sargent and Clymer were appointed a committee to wait upon 

 Professor Baird and inform him of his election, and invite him to attend 

 the meeting of the Board. 



The committee discharged this duty ; and at half past eleven o'clock 

 a. m. introduced the Secretary-elect to the Eegents. 



The Chancellor then formally announced to Professor Baird his unani- 

 mous election as Secretary. 



Professor Baird made a brief acknowledgment of the honor con- 

 ferred upon him, and stated that he would endeavor to discharge his 

 duties faithfully and in accordance with the views of his lamented pre- 

 decessor. 



