A Note on the History of the Statutes. 509 



sary. At a meeting immediately before the following Easter a selection 

 of candidates is to be made, and the candidates so selected are to be 

 balloted for at the next meeting immediately after Easter. These 

 regulations are not, however, to apply to Sovereign Foreign Princes or 

 their Sons, or to such Foreigners resident in Great Britain as may desire 

 to become Fellows in the usual way. 



The Officers of (he Society, the Clerk, Librarian, &c. 



No changes are made in the Statutes of 1776 for the election of 

 Council and Officers ; but to meet the changes in the contributions there 

 are changes in the regulations for the Treasurer. There are also changes 

 in the duties of the Secretaries, chiefly in reference to the Clerk and to 

 the publication of the Philosophical Transactions. 



Cap. X. provides regulations for the qualifications, mode of election, 

 duties and remunerations of the Clerk, the Librarian, the Keeper of the 

 Repository, and the House-Keeper. 



The Statutes of 1663 contain regulations for the Clerk, 

 Ann. 1663. an( j p rescr i]} e clerkly duties for him ; and the Society had 

 at first neither House-keeper nor Librarian. 



When in 1710 the Society moved to Crane Court, the office 

 Ann. 1710. of jj ouse .Keeper was established ; but the then Clerk was 

 made House- Keeper. As the Library and Repository were increased 

 the offices of Librarian and Keeper of the Repository were established ; 

 but both these offices were held by the Clerk, under supervision, during 

 a certain period at all events, of Fellows chosen for that duty under 

 the title of " Inspectors." But the Statutes of 1752 contain no regula- 

 tions for these offices other than that of the Clerk, the Statutes con- 

 cerning whom remain exactly the same as in 1663 ; and in spite of the 

 special regulations present in the edition of 1776, it appears 

 Ann. 1776. ^^ ^ Q g oc j e ty had never more than one officer to carry 

 out these several duties, and that he was called the Clerk," until 

 at a later period (1823) the office of Clerk was abolished, 

 Ann. 1823. and ^^ Q f Assistant Secretary instituted. 



The Ordinary Meetings of the Society. 



In the edition of 1776, Cap. XI. "Of the Ordinary 

 Ann. 1776. jy[ ee ti n gs of the Society," Sec. 1 provides that the ordinary 

 Meetings should be held on "Thursdays, beginning at 6 p.m., and 

 continue about an hour, as usual, at the discretion of the President." 

 Ann 1769 s Statute was passed in 1769. 



The Statutes of 1663 (IV., Sec. 1) provide that the 

 Ann. 1663. ordinary mee tings should be held on " Wednesday, begin- 

 ning about three of the clock in the afternoon, and continuing until 



