peesident's addbess. 1 3 



"He was a most active public officer, and at the time of his death, 

 held numerous appointments in Penzance and neighbourhood- 

 He was formerly President of the Penzance Natural History 

 and Antiquarian Society, and afterwards a Vice-President, and 

 his genial presence at the meetings always ajfforded pleasure to 

 the members. His death has been much regretted, and by it a 

 great loss has fallen upon the societies of West Cornwall. 



Of the many other members of the Institution who have 

 passed away during the past year, it is only proper that I should 

 refer briefly to the great loss the Institution has sustained by 

 the deaths of so many old and long tried members, such as the 

 Eev. Canon Philpotts, of Porthgwidden, a former Yice-President, 

 who will be remembered for the active interest he took in the 

 building of Truro Cathedral, and also for his personal interest 

 in the welfare and prosperity of our Institution ; the Eev. G. L. 

 Church, a frequent attendant at our meetings and excursions ; 

 Mr. W. J. Eawlings, of Hayle, who assisted the Institution in 

 many ways, particularly at the time when the Mining School 

 was carried on at Truro ; and Col. C. D. Portescue, of Boconnoc, 

 late of the Coldstream G-uards, who after the hardships and 

 fatigues endured during the late Egyptian campaign, retired 

 from the service, and passed the greater part of his time on his 

 Cornish estate, where he was much esteemed as a good landlord 

 and a kind friend. The family of Boconnoc have been liberal 

 benefactors to the Institution for more than half a century. 



Another loss to the Institution has been caused by the 

 recent death of the Eight Hon. Sir Montague E. Smith, who 

 joined us as a subscribing member so long ago as 1849, on his 

 first visit to Truro as a candidate for parliamentary honours. 

 Sir Montague was the brother of our late member. Sir Philip 

 Protheroe Smith, and was thus identified with the interests of 

 this city to the time of his death. He represented Truro in the 

 House of Commons from 1859 to 1865, which he vacated on his 

 elevation to the Bench. Sir Montague was distinguished as a 

 Judge, first of the Court of Common Pleas, and afterwards of 

 the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. I also regret the 

 death of Mr. George Williams, of Scorrier, who had only 

 recently joined the Institution. I have been informed that had 

 he been spared, it was expected that he would have taken a 



