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December 9, 1858. 



Sir BENJAMIN COLLINS BRODIE, Bart., President, 

 in the Chair. 



The President announced that, under the provisions of the Char- 

 ter, he had appointed the following Members of the Council to be 

 Vice- Presidents : 



The Lord Wrottesley. 

 Major-General Sabine. 

 Thomas Bell, Esq. 

 John Peter Gassiot, Esq. 

 Sir Roderick Murchison. 

 The Rev. Dr. Whewell. 



The President, on taking the Chair, addressed the Meeting as 

 follows : 



GENTLEMEN, 



ALTHOUGH I have already had the opportunity of offering to you my 

 thanks for the great honour which you have conferred on me in placing 

 me in this Cbair, it is but fit that I should repeat them now, when 

 we are assembled in a more formal manner, and when probably 

 some Fellows are present who were not present at the Anniversary 

 dinner. It is impossible that I should be otherwise than highly 

 gratified by such an expression of the good opinion of a Society, 

 which may justly be regarded as including a larger proportion of 

 individuals distinguished for their knowledge and intelligence than 

 any other in this country. At the same time I must own that my 

 feelings on the occasion are somewhat modified when 1 see around 

 me so many of our Fellows who have devoted their lives to scientific 

 pursuits, and who in their respective departments have contributed 

 so much more than I have done to the advancement of scientific 

 knowledge. It is now long since the requirements of an arduous 

 profession, and the public not less than the private duties belonging 

 to it, compelled me to direct my attention to other objects, and in a 

 great degree to relinquish those researches, to which during many 



