xli 



THE PEESIDENT'S ADDEESS. 



Gentlemen, 



In commencing the Address which the custom of the 

 Society has, I think advantageously, rendered an annual neces- 

 sity, I must again return you my best thanks for the renewed 

 honour you have conferred on me in electing me your President : 

 expressing at the same time my conviction that you would have 

 acted more wisely, and for the greater good of the Society, had 

 you chosen a younger and more active member of the Society for 

 the office, and one who, resident in London, could have taken a 

 more continuous share in its affairs. 



The Report from the Council, which you have heard read, and 

 which will be appended to this Address, will have shown you the 

 position of the Society both in regard to its pecuniary state and 

 as to the increase of new, and decrease by death of several of our 

 long much-valued members, as well as the greater and more 

 liberal facilities for usefulness which have been introduced into 

 its administration, and w^hich in my humble opinion ought to 

 insure an enlarged support. And here I camiot avoid calling 

 your attention to the extreme liberality of several of our members, 

 who, seeing the advantages of such increased facilities, and the 

 necessity of the publication of various valuable memoir's laid 

 before the Society (such as those offered to the Ray Society, 

 which, except for the means of publication adopted by that 

 Society, would never have seen the light), have, by their renewed 

 contributions with no unsparing hand, enabled the Society to 

 publish them, and to effect the other measures mentioned in the 

 Report of the Council. Other Societies for the advancement of 

 our Science in other countries, receive Government help, and I 

 cannot but think that it is a false policy to withhold from a small 

 Society like ours, which has for so many years been doing good 

 and beneficial work, a portion of that support which is granted to 

 other better endowed and chartered Societies. Let us hope that 



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