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coming into office 29th November, affirmed, with a 

 single dissentient voice, the resolution of their prede- 

 cessors, requiring the Foreign Secretary to reside in 

 London. Before the next meeting of the Society, Dr. 

 Hutton's written defence was read, and a resolution 

 was passed by a large majority (45 to 15), that, " if 

 he had been censured, he had fully justified himself." 

 Here the matter might have ended, and here it cer- 

 tainly would have ended, had the case of Dr. Hutton 

 alone furnished the matter of dispute. But it was the 

 occasion, not the cause of the dissension. A party had 

 clearly been formed against the President : at the 

 head of that party Dr. Horsley had placed himself; 

 he had raised an absurd cry that the mathematics were 

 neglected, and botany alone patronised ; and he was 

 plainly looking to eject Sir Joseph Banks, and raise 

 himself to the chair. This enabled the latter to com- 

 mit his second great error the calling in members 

 who were only titular, and never took a part in the 

 ordinary business of the Society, any more than they 

 were capable of sharing in its labours. These came 

 down on the 8th January, 1784, in great numbers ; 

 and, after a long debate, they carried, by a large ma- 

 jority of 119 to 42, a vote of confidence, " approving 

 of Sir Joseph Banks as President, and resolving to sup- 

 port him in his office." At a subsequent meeting, a 

 motion for rescinding the resolution of the Council on 

 the residence of the foreign Secretary, was lost by a 

 majority of 85 to 47 ; as were afterwards, by still 

 larger majorities, three several motions, censuring all 

 endeavours of the President to influence the votes of 

 members by solicitation, either on elections or on any 

 other matters. The two most important of these 

 motions were lost by 115 to 27, the other by 102 to 

 23. Mr. Maty, a person of some accomplishments, of 

 amiable character, of hasty, fickle temper, who had 

 warmly sided with the President's opponents, soon 

 after resigned his place as one of the ordinary secre- 



