Jno. W. Titcomb, St. Johnsburv, Vt. 



Edward P. Doyle, New York City. 



Tarletoii H. Beau, New York City. 



L. D. Huntington, New Roclielle, N. Y. 



D. G. Hackney, Fort Plain, N. Y. 



James Annin, Jr., Caledonia, N. Y. 



Dr. Bushrod W. James, Philadelphia, Pa. 



H. P. Frothingham, Mount Arlington, N. J. 



Hendrick S. Holden, Syracuse, N. Y, 



L. D. Alexander, New York City. 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Gentlemen : 



I take this the first opportunit}' offered to thank 

 3^ou for the honor conferred at our last meeting in 

 selecting me as your President, it having (with few 

 exceptions) been the custom of previous Presidents to 

 submit an address at the Annual IMeetiug of the Soci- 

 ety upon some kindred subject. I feel reluctant to 

 continue the custom, for the reason that it would con- 

 sume much valuable time of our brief business session 

 of a single da}^ which scarcely affords time to transact 

 the necessary 3^early business of the Society-, the read- 

 ing of the able and interesting papers prepared by 

 many of the members, and a full discussion of the 

 same. Therefore, I shall confine myself briefly to a 

 strictly business matter, although one in my judg- 

 ment that is of vital importance to all organizations, 

 that is, ''Membership and finance." 



Gentlemen, when I carefullj^ looked into this 

 important matter as President of this organization I 

 found by the Treasurer's report a balance of $64.06 in 

 the treasury, and of which amount the Treasurer 

 informed me $30 was from dues of 1895. There were 

 still bills for the year 1894 amounting to |>i56.70 

 unpaid, making a deficiency of $92.64, which without 



