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would always romember they are to use their influence in 

 promoting any inquiries which may add to our knowledge of this 

 neighbourhood in respect of the objects for which the Club is 

 formed, and lay tlieu" results before it at its appointed sittings. 

 To-day is the first occasion on which the Club has ever met for 

 the reading of papers, independent of its ordinary quarterly 

 meetings for mere routine of business, and a question has some- 

 times been raised at these latter meetings as to the best way of 

 bringing before the public any communications made to the 

 Club which may deserve to have a wider circulation. On each 

 of these points I will make a few^ remarks. The practice of the 

 Berwickshire Club, I believe, with respect to papers, has been to 

 have such as may have been prepared beforehand by an)' of the 

 members read at the termination of each day's excursion, these 

 excursions being five in the year; — and then, at the end of the 

 year, the retiring President delivers an address, giving a general 

 summary of what has been done, ■with a notice of the different 

 places visited, at each meeting. This address, along with a 

 selection of the papers read as above, furnishes matter for a 

 yearly number of their Transactions, enough being collected in 

 time in this way to make up a volume, which is printed by the 

 Club for the use of its own members. I should say that all these 

 papers, in respect of the subjects treated of, are more or less 

 connected witli the district, which forms the field of the Club's 

 labours. It may be long before our Club arrives at this stage of 

 activity ; and perhaps it may never get to it. In the meantime, 

 I should suggest that members who read papers which it is 

 desirable to publish, be invited to send them to one of the 

 periodicals of the day treating of that particular department of 

 knowledge to which the paper relates, while any others — at least 

 those which respect our own district — after being read to the 

 Club, be carefully pi-eserved by it for future reference. Members 

 of the Club who, however they may like to join the excursions 

 occasionally, prefer carrying on their own pursuits quietly by 



