128 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



as members of the Council, but that Society bad gone further, and 

 even stated the opinion that there ought to be a maker upon the 

 Council who might be able to give them the benefit of his experience 

 upon practical questions connected with their instruments. If per- 

 sons supposed that makers could not be admitted to such positions, 

 because they were jealous of one another, he could assure them, that 

 so far as he was aware, no such jealousy had any existence, nor did 

 he see why there should be any ; for if any of them thought that any 

 extra amount of trade would result from connection with that Society 

 he believed it was a very great mistake. The persons who came to 

 makers as customers were for the most part young men, students 

 seeking information, and whom makers had frequent opportunities of 

 introducing to societies such as that. He hoped it would be under- 

 stood that he did not make these remarks from any feelings of hos- 

 tility to the Council, because he believed that they had done all that 

 they could, but he thought that the discussion of these few things 

 would perhaps be of use as regarded the future, and the annual meet- 

 ing was, he also thought, the proper time to bring them forward, and 

 he felt much obliged to the meeting for hearing what he had to say. 



The Secretary said he should like to be allowed to divide what he 

 had to say upon the subjects mentioned by Mr. Beck into two parts, 

 and to say the first in his capacity as Secretary, and the last in that of 

 a private Fellow. Speaking as Secretary be might say that the Coun- 

 cil were quite of opinion that all original papers should be sent through 

 the Society to tho Journal, and not to the Editor independently ; it 

 was, however, a matter which it was not altogether within their power 

 to regulate as they wished. It was due to Dr. Lawson to say that he 

 was always willing to aid them as far as he could in this respect. 

 With reference to the tea, he thought he might say from his own per- 

 sonal knowledge of them, that almost every member of the Council 

 was as fond of tea as Mr. Beck himself, and when they occupied rooms 

 of their own tho question of tea would receive their best attention. 

 With regard to the numbers at the meetings, he certainly thought that 

 they stood very well, and would favourably compare with those of 

 former years, and he thought that if Mr. Beck would refer to the 

 attendance-books he would find this to be the case. They would, no 

 doubt, remember that they were obliged to leave the rooms upstairs in 

 consequence of the increase in the attendance which caused them to 

 be inconveniently crowded. As to union with other societies he could 

 assure them that the Council had always desired it, and indeed one 

 reason why it was decided that the Journal should contain • other 

 matter than their own, was that it should publish the reports of other 

 societies also, and thus bo a means of bringing them together. And 

 now to speak in his private capacity, he might say that he heartily 

 agreed with Mr. Beck in his remarks as to the exclusion of makers 

 from the Council ; he was strongly of opinion that tho Society ought 

 to know nothing about what a man's occupation was, or to let his 

 occupation in life in any way prejudice him. If a man distinguished 

 himself in scientific pursuits, and was also— as most scientific men 

 were — a gentleman, it ought not to matter what else he did for his 



