ANNUAL MEETING. 



MEETINGS. 



It will be remembered that representations having been 

 made by many members living in London and in the home 

 counties, that in consequence of the late hour at which 

 the Institute's meetings were held they were unable to 

 be present thereat; and experience having shown that 

 this late hour often deprived the Institute of the presence 

 not only of leading authorities upon the subjects taken 

 up, but also of many desirous of being listeners, the Council 

 took steps in 1894 to gather the opinions of the members 

 upon the question of adopting an earlier hour for the meet- 

 ings, A\dth the result that it was found an overwhelming 

 majority were in favour of the earlier hour of half-past four. 

 The meetings were therefore fixed at this hour and with, 

 the most successfid results. 



Since then the popularity of this hour has so increased 

 that in no session have the meetings been so fully attended 

 as during that now closing. Not only so, but several 

 other societies have adopted the earlier hour of meeting. 



HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK MEETINGS. 



Monday, December 2, 1895. — " Scientific Research and the Sacred 

 Eecord," by the Rev. Canon Girdlestone, M.A. 



The present position of Science in regard to Revelation was 



reviewed, the salient points on either side in which the two had 



been to any extent held to be antagonistic being dealt with ; and it 



was held that careful investigation had proved the ei'ror of those 



who assert the existence of real antagonism. 



Monday, January 6, 1896.— "The Ethics of Buddhism," by K A. Reed. 



An enqiiiry was begun (which specially admits of being more 



fully taken up hereafter) into the origin of those moral and religious 



precepts, similar to those in Holy writ, which were now often 



quoted as being found in Buddhist writings. It was urged — that 



in some cases it was a question whether these were to be found in 



the earlier Buddhist writings, and that in some cases they might be 



accounted for by that " considerable inter-communication " among 



nations, which recent research tends to show, existed in ancient 



times. 



Monday, January 20. — " On cei-tain Inscriptions and Records referring 



to Babylonia and Elam and their Rulers, and other matters," by 



Theophilus G. Pinches, Esq., M.R.A.S., Dep. Egyptian and 



Assyrian Antiq., Brit. Museum. 



Among those referred to was Tablet W.A.I, v. 15, in wliich the 

 author of the paper had deciphered two further lines, giving an 

 important indication of the spot where the Babylonians located 



