Ixxxii REPORT—1896. 
San Francisco that his communication would be laid before the General 
Committee at Liverpool. 
Since the above resolution was adopted the Council have been informed 
that it has been decided to hold the meeting of the American Association 
in 1897 at Detroit. It is not, therefore, possible, to make arrangements 
for a joint meeting in San Francisco, or for the Association to visit that 
city. It is proposed, therefore, to reply in this sense to the invitation of 
the Mayor of San Francisco, and to request him to convey to the Board 
of Supervisors the best thanks of the Association for their cordial in- 
vitation. 
The Council recommend that on the occasion of the Meeting of the 
Association at Toronto, the President, Vice-Presidents, and Officers of 
the American Association be invited to attend as Honorary Members for 
the year ; and further that all Fellows and Members of the American 
Association be admitted Members of the British Association on the same 
terms as old Annual Members, namely, on payment of 1/., without the 
payment of an admission fee. 
The Council recommend that the arrangements made for the Meetings 
of the General Committee at Montreal, in 1884, be adopted for the 
Meeting next year—viz.: Thati two Meetings be held at Toronto, and 
that an adjourned Meeting be held in London at the beginning of the 
month of November, for the election of the President and Officers for 
1898, and for fixing the date of the Meeting in that year. 
The Council have received the following communication from the’ 
Secretary of the Corporation of the McGill University, Montreal :— 
To THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE 
British ASSOCIATION, 
McGill University, Montreal, 
January 11, 1896. 
GENTLEMEN,—I have been directed by the Corporation of the University to lay 
before the Council of the British Association a proposal giving the Faculty of 
Applied Science the liberty of substituting for the British Association Gold Medal 
one or more Bronze Medals, together with an exhibition or prizes in such cases as 
the Faculty might recommend. 
The British Association Gold Medal was generously founded by the members of 
the British Association in the year 1885, and, apart from its intrinsic value, the 
medal has always been regarded as the highest prize obtainable in the Faculty of 
Applied Science. 
The desire of the Faculty has been to require a very high standard from those 
who are candidates for the medal. A difficulty has, however, often arisen, owing to 
the fact that there are five distinct departments in the Faculty, namely, the 
departments of Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, 
Mining, and Chemistry. The practice has been to award the medal in the several 
departments in rotation; but of course it often happens that in more than one 
department there are to be found students worthy of the medal. It hasalso happened 
ex the best student is not in the department in which the medal falls in order of 
rotation. 
After long consideration, and after the experience of the ten years which have 
passed since the foundation of the medal, the Faculty is of the opinion that it would 
be advisable to ask the permission of the Council to substitute for the Gold Medal a, 
B.A. Exhibition, or B.A. Prizes, together with one or more B.A. Bronze Medals. The 
Faculty is convinced that the change would rather add to than diminish the value of 
the foundation. 
2 
