. XXXV. 



recommend in any way the claims of Professor David to such a 

 position. (Hear, hear.) There was one matter that occurred to 

 us in the meeting — that was that hitherto in the Association it has 

 not been the custom to re-appoint a gentleman who has already 

 been President of this Association. Professor David has been 

 President of this Association, but we felt that in view of the very 

 special circumstances attending this nomination that the gentleman 

 nominated will be President during the visit of the British Assoc- 

 iation, we thought it would be well, at any rate for this next 

 nomination, to nominate Professor David. 



Professor Steele : I have much pleasure in seconding the 

 motion. There is nothing I can say in addition to what Professor 

 Skeats has said. I would merely emphasise the fact that we felt 

 strongly that this tradition that a past President should not be 

 nominated for future presidency should be waived when we had an 

 opportunity of having as our President, during the visit of the 

 British Association, a man of such distinguished attainments as 

 Professor David. (Applause). 



The President : This is the nomination of certain Victorian 

 members who have met together and consulted. Of course, it is 

 open to this Council to accept or reject that nomination, and there- 

 fore I must ask for any other motion any member may desire to 

 make. 



Mr. J. Shirley : I think everyone here is fully satisfied with 

 the nomination, but the point that comes to my mind is that there 

 must be a President-elect at the time. The President-elect will 

 have to be nominated at the Melbourne meeting before the visit 

 of the British Association, and there will be a President and Presi- 

 dent-elect in existence. There may be some claim on the part of 

 the President-elect. (Voices : " No.") I think you misunderstand 

 me. He will have some standing at the time. (Voice : " No 

 official standing.") Professor Masson will be President until he 

 has a successor, but you are going to depose him from any honour 

 that might follow from the visit of the British Association. 



A Member : We have always a President-elect and a President. 

 If the Local Committee meet, it will meet under the presidency of 

 the present President. Professor Orme Masson is our President 

 until the next meeting in Melbourne. The meeting in Melbourne 

 to deal with the presidency will meet under the presidency of 

 Professor Masson, not the President-elect. 



The President : I think, as a matter of law, that is correct. 

 The President-elect enjoys all the pleasures of anticipation — 

 (laughter) — but he is not fairly entitled to anything else. In the 

 present instance when I was President-elect I did come in for a 

 certain amount of duty (but that was simply because Professor 

 Bragg, the President, had left Australasia) in connection with the 

 invitation of the British Association. I think it was only because 

 I was President-elect, and there was no President, that I was put in 



