28 Presidentship of Martin Folkes 1748 



they were always sure of a good dinner and might hear 

 interesting conversation. The intrusion became so serious 

 that the members drew up the following order : x 



" We whose names are underwritten, members of this Club think 

 it proper that the undermentioned notice be fixed up in the Club- 

 room : viz 



It is thought proper to inform all gentlemen who dine here that 

 according to the original Establishment all gentlemen who are not 

 subscribers themselves, must be introduced by a subscriber present 

 each time they dine here." 



[Signed in the Dinner-register by the PRESIDENT and twenty -one 

 subscribers.] 



A month later it was found necessary to define more 

 precisely the limit of number of members in the Club, the 

 time and manner of voting, and the penalty to be exacted 

 for non-attendance. The following resolution was then 

 drawn up and agreed to : 



" Resolved that the number of Subscribers to this Club shall not 

 exceed forty for the future ; that the Election of Members to supply 

 any Vacancy that shall happen by Death or otherwise, be made 

 annually on the last Thursday in July by Ballott by the Members 

 then present ; and that no Person be deemed chosen who hath five 

 Negatives ; that those Gentlemen who have not attended for 12 

 months, nor sent an Excuse, be deemed no longer members, and 

 that their places be filled up out of those gentlemen that are Candi- 

 dates, whose names are to be put to ballott according to their pre- 

 cedence on the list which is ordered to be kept for that purpose." 



[Signed in the Dinner -register by the President and twenty-eight 

 subscribers.] 



Even after all these precautions there would seem to 

 have been still some difficulty in rigidly excluding strangers, 

 for next year (March ist 1749) a Special Meeting was called 

 to consider the procedure that should be adopted. It was 

 then resolved, " That no Strangers be admitted to dine 

 here for the future except those Gentlemen introduced by 

 the President, and that this order be written and fixed up 

 at the door/' 



We may now glance over the list of visitors during the 

 first year of which the record is complete. At the second 



1 Dinner-register, 25th August 1748. 



