i8i8 The Question of Dinners in Autumn 257 



It was " resolved that for the future, in the absence 

 of the President, the senior Vice-president of the Royal 

 Society shall take the chair ; and in case no one of them 

 should be present that the Treasurer do as usual preside." 



But the most important decision arrived at by this meet- 

 ing had reference to the question of the attendance at the 

 Club in autumn. It was decided to reverse the decision of 

 the previous year, and a resolution was carried " that in 

 future the meetings of the Club be continued through the 

 year without intermission in the same manner as before 

 the last Anniversary." At the same time the dinner-hour 

 was once more made a little later " resolved that in future 

 the dinner-hour be half-past five o'clock instead of five." 



Sir Joseph Banks was as usual re-elected President, but 

 Mr. Raper, the Treasurer, resigned his office, which he had held 

 for fourteen years. Mr. Daniel Moore was chosen to replace 

 him an unfortunate choice, as will appear in later pages. 



Some comments are required on the minutes of the 

 Anniversary. First, in regard to the new members it may 

 be remarked that Dr. Maton was M.A. and M.D. of Oxford, 

 became a physician of good standing in London, and was 

 elected into the Royal Society in 1800. T. L. Parker of 

 Christ's College, Cambridge, was an antiquary who became 

 F.R.S. in 1815. 



The prompt rescinding of the resolution of the previous 

 anniversary to hold no meetings during the autumn months 

 hardly appears in itself to be consistent with the financial 

 experience of the Club during the last few years, and could 

 only be justified by some strong steps being taken to prevent 

 the serious diminution of attendance from the end of July 

 to the middle or end of October. That some such steps 

 were now adopted appears evident from the record of the 

 autumn meetings of this year. There were probably always 

 a few " stalwarts " who did not regularly migrate from 

 London in the autumn, and who in that dull season liked 

 to have it in their power to meet each other now and then 

 at the " Crown and Anchor " ; and we can well believe 

 that these non-migratory residents would organise a strong 



