14 



At the present time another class of questions occupies 

 a good deal of the attention of the Council. In the first 

 generation of the Association, and during the period of 

 unwritten, but not yet traditional, law, questions relating 

 to our own organization or procedure either " settled 

 themselves," or were wisely left to the discretionary powers 

 of those who had taken part in our proceedings during 

 the early years of our existence. These and other kindred 

 subjects now require more careful formularisation and 

 more deliberate sanction. And it is on the shoulders of the 

 Council that the weight of these matters in general falls. 

 These facts deserve especial mention on the present 

 occasion, because one part of our business at the close of 

 this meeting will be to bid farewell officially to one who 

 has served us as Assistant Secretary so long and so assi- 

 duously that he has latterly become our main repertory 

 of information, and our Mentor upon questions of prece- 

 dent and procedure. The post hitherto held by Mr. 

 Griffith (for it is to him that I allude) will doubtless be 

 well filled by the able and energetic member who has 

 been nominated in his place ; but I doubt not that even he 

 will be glad for some time to come to draw largely upon 

 the knowledge and experience of his predecessor. 



But, beside matters of internal arrangement and or- 

 ganization, the duties of the Council comprise a variety 

 of scientific subjects referred to them by the General 

 Committee, at the instance of the Committee of Recom- 

 mendations, for deliberation and occasionally for action. 

 With the increasing activity of our body in general, and 

 more particularly with that of our various officers, these 

 duties have of late years become more varied and 

 onerous than formerly ; nor is it to be wished that they 

 should diminish in either variety or extent. 



