l82 TiMEHRI. 



The President said that the question of burning sugar 

 for ruin colouring had engaged the attention of chemists, 

 both in tbe colony and at home. He did not think they 

 could get caramel made any cheaper than at present. 

 Planters here had not been idle in this matter, nor had 

 they spared any expense, but if $200 would in^luce any 

 one to go into the matter and find a better process 

 he saw no obje6tion to the motion. He doubted very 

 much however whether anything more could be done, 

 as the great interests at stake hpd already induced the 

 large proprietors to take advice and go to great expense 

 to find better means of colouring all samples alike. 



The mover remarked that it was not on every estate 

 that they had the services of an Analytical Chemist, and 

 it had come to his knowledge that while some made rum 

 that was comparatively uniform in obscuration others 

 did not. 



The motion was carried unanimously. 



Mr. T. S. Hargreaves then brought forward his motion 

 to admit smoking in tbe galleries of the Reading Room. 

 He thought that if it were allowed, at least in the lee- 

 ward gallery, it would not be annoying to anyone, and 

 be much appreciated. He could not see that there 

 were any valid obje6lions to this ; as for the danger of 

 fire, people smoked in club rooms, hotels and private 

 houses, but he had never heard that Insurance Companies 

 considered smoking as an extra risk. 



Mr Bell seconded the motion. 



Mr. Conyers opposed it, because he thought that if 

 once it were admitted in one part it would become 

 g< ucral over the whole. He was a smoker himself but 

 he did not care to sit in an atmosphere of smoke. 



