PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY. 329 



much known that on leaving that room after the meetings he had 

 generally gone back to Sheffield by the early newspaper train the next 

 morning. If they wished to have a most obvious sign of his devotion to 

 the interests of the Society, they could not find it better than in that 

 fact. The last matter to which he would refer was the admirable 

 manner and tact displayed by the President in conducting their 

 meetings. Of this the Fellows themselves would be as good judges as 

 he could bo himself. He should like also to add that they must not 

 conclude they were about to lose Dr. Dallinger ; he would remain to 

 them as one of their Vice-Presidents, and there was a rumour that a 

 change in his environment was not improbable, which might result in 

 the possibility of his being able to attend their meetings without having 

 to undertake so long a journey. 



Mr, Crisp said that it had fallen to him on all previous occasions to 

 second the vote of thanks to Dr. Dallinger for his annual address ; but 

 he purposely did not do so on the present occasion lest it might look too 

 stereotyped and formal ; but on the other hand, if he did not say any- 

 thing it might perhaps be thought that his enthusiasm had cooled down. 

 What he had to say was summed up in a single remark which, however, 

 required a preface. Carlyle had said that the people of England were, 

 so many millions in number, " mostly fools." That, however, was not 

 true, but only a piece of Carlylean exaggeration. If, however, he had 

 said they were mostly humbugs, it would have been nearer the truth on 

 account of the large number of people who said one thing and thought 

 another. If he followed the ordinary practice he ought, no doubt, as an 

 official of the Society, to affect to believe that the Society had shed great 

 additional lustre upon Dr. Dallinger by allowing him for so long a time 

 to be their President. If, however, they wished to admit the naked 

 truth, it was that Dr. Dallinger had, during his Presidency, thrown 

 great additional lustre upon the Society. 



Dr. Dallinger said he felt it would be very improper on his part if 

 he were to receive such warm expressions of cordial feeling without 

 saying a few words in response. With regard to his attendance he 

 might say that he had tried to make it a principle of his life, no matter 

 what the subject might be, never to undertake what he did not mean to 

 carry out thoroughly, so that it was with this intention that he had 

 entered upon his duty as President. Of course, circumstances might 

 sometimes arise beyond a person's control which would prevent him from 

 doing all that he desired. This, happily, had not occurred in his case. 

 He found the other day that his wife was commencing a calculation of 

 the number of miles he had travelled in carrying out his engagement — 

 a calculation which, however, he interrupted. He could, for his own 

 part, say that it was a pleasure to him to look back upon the proceedings 

 of these years, and he should always feel that the manner in which their 

 thanks had been bestowed for such services as he had rendered consti- 

 tuted a deeper source of pleasure than he was able to express. 



Mr. Crisp said that in his journeys to and fro to attend their 

 meetings, the President had, he found, travelled a distance equal to 

 more than half round the world. 



Vctes of thanks to the Auditors and Scrutineers for their services 

 were proposed by Mr. A. D. Michael, seconded by Prof. J. W. Groves, 

 and carried unanimously. 



