1890.] President's Address. 469 



This offer of the Joule Committee was accepted with thanks by the 

 Council, but the further consideration of the steps to be taken has 

 not yet been entered on. Meanwhile the treasurer of the fund has 

 handed over to the treasurer of the Royal Society a sum of about 

 1,400. 



In 1663, when the second charter was granted to the Society, a 

 body of statutes was drawn up for regulating various matters not 

 fixed by charter. Alterations have since been made from, time to 

 time, as provided for in the statutes themselves. The last consider- 

 able alteration was made in 1847, when the present system was intro- 

 duced, according to which the Council select from the candidates, 

 other than those who have a special privilege as to coming on for 

 ballot, a definite number whom they recommend to the Society for 

 election, and the election takes place on one definite day in the year. 

 A few changes, of less importance, have been made since that time, 

 and experience has pointed out the desirability of some changes of 

 detail, chiefly as regards the mode of dealing with papers. A com- 

 mittee was appointed last session, and continued at the commencement 

 of the present, to revise the whole body of statutes, with a view to 

 bring them into sti-ieter conformity with existing practice, and at the 

 same time to propose further changes, should any such appear 

 desirable. The Committee have now reported ; but as the session 

 was near its end, and the subject was one requiring full consideration 

 by the Council, the report has been merely received and entered on 

 the minutes, and it has been left to the Council that is to be elected 

 to-day to take such further steps as may appear to them desirable. 



Some of the proposed alterations relate to the mode of dealing with 

 papers which are communicated to the Society, which is a matter of 

 practical business that may well be left to the judgment and experi- 

 ence of the executive body. But some points have been raised which 

 it seems desirable to bring to the notice of the Fellows at large, in 

 order that they may have an opportunity of considering them before 

 a final decision is come to by the new Council. 



The question has more than once been raised whether, considering 

 the increase of population and the more general diffusion of scientific 

 knowledge which has taken place within the last forty years, the 

 number of candidates to be selected by the Council for recommenda- 

 tion to the Fellows for election might not now, with advantage, be 

 made a little larger than fifteen, the number at which it was fixed in 

 1847. On this question there was considerable difference of opinion 

 in the Committee, but the majority were in favour of keeping the 

 number as it is at present. 



Connected, to a slight extent, with this question is another, whether 

 the Council should not have the power of recommending to the 

 Fellows for election, in addition to the fifteen selected from among 



