Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society be reconsidered after- 

 the lapse of one year, in the hope that meanwhile the Act of 

 Parliament relating to the Royal Society may be repealed or 

 amended, so that such an office as that of Honorary Secretary 

 may become unnecessary in future, and that it be an instruction 

 to the Council that they endeavour to bring about the necessary 

 repeal or amendment." 



]\Ir. S. Clemes, speaking on behalf of the requisitionists, 

 submitted the motion to the consideration of the meeting. The 

 present state of affairs needed some amendment in the direction 

 proposed, because it was so cumbrous. 



^Ir. Clemes, junr., seconded the motion. 



Air. T. Stephens said that the Act of 1854 was practically a 

 dead letter, having been superseded by the Act which made 

 provision for the endowment of the Botanic Gardens and Tas- 

 manian Museum, which originally were under the control of the 

 Ro3^al Society, but were surrendered by the Society to the State 

 in 1885 in the interest of the public. The mistake made in not 

 repealing the Act of 1854 when the Museum and Gardens Act 

 was passed was now evident, when it had become necessary for 

 the Society to allow itself to be sued in regard to the legality 

 of the custody of a certain document, and the Society, so long- 

 as the Act of 1854 remained in force, had to be represented by 

 a " Secretary " appointed under its provisions. The term 

 " Honorary Secretary " should not have been used in connec- 

 tion with the matter, for the question of salary had nothing to 

 do with it. 



The President said that he had not had time to look into the 

 Act, but there seemed to. be some confusion about the titles of 

 '■ Secretary " and " Honorary Secretary." It was desirable to 

 clear up the exact position, and he would suggest that a small 

 committee might be appomted to go into the question and re- 

 port to a later meeting. It would be better to clear up the 

 position. 



]\Ir. Clemes said that that was what he hoped would be the 

 outcome of the motion. He would be glad to move in the 

 direction indicated by His Excellency. 



On the motion bemg put it was carried without opposition. 



The Monthly General Meeting of the Society then followed. 

 CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Council forwarded a letter from Mr. Alfred Redder, 

 suggesting that portraits of the late King Edward VII. and 

 the late Mr. Bernard Shaw should be obtained, and hung in the 

 Royal Society's room. 



Mr. T. Stephens said that the matter would not be lost sight, 

 of by the Council as soon as there were any funds available for, 

 the purpose. 



