u 



The iuteutiou of the President to resign office, through removal from 

 Liverpool, having been previously made known, the following 



VALEDICTORY ADDRESS 



OF 



ROBERT M'ANDREW, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. 

 was then read : — 



Gentlemen of the Literary and Philosophicai. Society, — On 

 retiring from the office of President, in fulfilment of my intention 

 expressed at our last meeting, I feel called upon to address a few words 

 to you, believing such a course to be not without precedent. I there- 

 fore trust you will excuse me occupying a few minutes of your time 

 before proceeding to the routine business of the evening. 



In the first place, I have to express to you my sincere thanks for the 

 honour of having been allowed to occupy the presidential chair. When 

 it was announced at the commencement of last session that the election 

 had fallen upon me, I could not but express my regret at the circum- 

 stance ; not from insensibility to the honour conferred upon me, but 

 under a deep sense of my inability to dischai'ge, in a manner satis- 

 factory to myself, the duties which it entailed ; or adequately to repre- 

 sent this important Society among the literary and scientific institu- 

 tions of this and other countries. I cannot but appreciate such a proof 

 of the good opinion and kind feeling of the Society towards me ; and 

 indeed, in my opinion, there was no honour within the power of my 

 fellow-townsmen to bestow upon me, which I so highly esteemed, as that 

 of presidency of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool. 



It is my pleasing duty to congratulate you upon the present position 

 and future prospects of the Society, which may be said to liave entered 

 upon a new phase of its existence. Now, for the first time since com- 

 mencing the publication of its transactions, does our income cover our 

 expenditure ; and, so far from the apprehensions being realised of those 

 who anticipated an important secession from the Society, in conse- 

 quence of the increased rate of subscription, the number of members 

 is actually as great as at any previous period of its history ; and I 

 think it m.a,j be added, that at no past time could our list of members 

 show a larger proportion of names of individuals taking an active 

 interest -in the promotion of science and literature ; also, that any loss 

 which might accrue to the interest of our meetings through the retire- 

 ment of those few members who have notified their resignation during 

 the past year, is compensated by the greater degree of harmony 

 which their absence has occasioned. It is, in my opinion, even a 

 matter of congratulation that the terms upon which we were willing to 



