A Note on the History of the Statutes. 513 



to ten pounds, and the composition fee from twenty-six guineas to forty 

 pounds. 



The Statutes of 1831. 



The edition of 1831* contains a few changes which are of no great 

 moment, and chiefly refer to payments (Cap. III.), the " bond " being 

 omitted. 



In 1831 the Statutes relating to the Assistant Secretary were 

 amended, the separate regulations for Librarian and Housekeeper 

 being omitted; and, in 1835, the then existing Statute, Cap. L, Sec. 5 

 (enacted in 1831), that u no election for Fellows, or for Foreign 

 Members, shall take place excepting on the first ordinary meetings 

 of the Society in December, February, April, and June " was repealed. 



The Statutes of 1840. 



In the next edition, 1840, the most notable change concerns the 

 election of Officers and Council. These are to be put in nomination 

 by the President and Council, according to the plan at present in use- 

 Anew Chapter, "Of Special General Meetings of the Society" is added- 

 The composition fee is raised to sixty pounds in the case of Fellows 

 elected after Dec. 11, 1834, except such as have contributed papers to 

 the Philosophical Transactions ; the Statutes concerning publications 

 are thrown into one Chapter ; and some slight changes are made in 

 the Statutes concerning the Treasurer and Secretaries. Cap. XL, 

 "Of the ordinary Meetings of the Society," provides for the recess 

 from the third Thursday in June to the third Thursday in November, 

 and as mentioned above, for the omission of meetings on certain days. 



With the important exception of those relating to the election of 

 Fellows, the Statutes of this edition are very like those at present in 

 force. 



The Statutes of 1847. 



Very soon after, however, viz., in 1846, a Committee of Council was 

 appointed to consider the mode of Election of Fellows, with the result 

 that in 1847 new Statutes were enacted, regulating the Election of 

 fifteen Fellows annually, according to the plan at present in use. 

 These Statutes mark an epoch in the history of the Society. 



* One form of this Edition is simply a reprint of that of 1823, with an 

 Appendix of amended Statutes. 



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