CHAPTER LX. 



HOW THE SOCIETY'S BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED. 



The general business of the Society is conducted by a 

 President, four Vice-Presidents, thirty ordinary and ten 

 extraordinary Directors, a Treasurer, an honorary and an 

 acting Secretary, and other officers. The ordinary Direc- 

 tors are subdivided into committees for the despatch of 

 business, assisted occasionally by those ordinary members 

 most conversant with the subjects to be discussed. The 

 report of each committee is brought before the Directors 

 collectively for further procedure. The Directors meet on 

 the first Wednesday of each month from November to 

 June. The proceedings of the Directors are reported to 

 General Meetings of the Society, held in January and in 

 June or July. With reference to motions at General I\Ieet- 

 ings, Bye-Law No. 7 provides — ' That at General Meetings 

 of the Society no motion or proposal (except of mere form 

 or courtesy) shall be submitted or entertained for immediate 

 decision unless notice thereof has been given a week pre- 

 viously to the Board of Directors, without prejudice, how- 

 ever, to the competency of making such motion or proposal 

 to the effect of its being remitted to the Directors for con- 

 sideration, and thereafter being disposed of at a future 

 General Meeting.' 



In 1786 it was resolved that there should be fines for 

 irregular or non-attendance of the ordinary Directors, viz., 

 two shillings and sixpence to be paid by each member 

 who should be absent either altogether from a meeting 

 without sending a written apology if in town, or who should 

 only appear so late as a quarter of an hour after the time of 

 meeting ; and in 1788 it was further resolved, in order to 

 expedite the business of the Society, that the same penal- 

 ties should be incurred for absence or late entrance from 



