234 WISCONSIN ACADEMY SCIENCES, ARTS, AND LETTERS. 



Esq., of Madison; Hon. I C Sloan, of Madison; Josiali E". Cass, 

 Esq., of Eau Claire; E. A. Birge, State University; T. G. Atwood, 

 Esq., Albion, Wis; J. W. Stuart, Esq., of Madison. 



Dr. P. R. Ho}^ of Racine, Chairman of the committee appointed 

 to prepare a sketch of the life and character of Hon. I. A. Lapham, 

 LL. D., late Vice President of the Academy, read an exceedingly 

 interesting paper upon the general life and scientific labors of Dr. 

 Lapham. Dr. Hoy feelingly referred to a friendship prolonged for 

 Over thirty years. He summed np the important labors of Dr. 

 Lapham by reading the following letter from Prof. Joseph Henry: 



Smithsonion Institute, [ 

 iVashiiifflon, Feb. 3, IS76. j 



Br. p. E. Hoy, Kaciae, Wis.: 



Dear Sir: Your letter was received during a great pressure of business, and 1 

 now embrace tlie first opportunity to give it a reply. 



The action of Congress in regard to the signal service was due to the immediate 

 exertions of Mr. Lapham through the member of Congress from his district, Gen- 

 eral Payne, in setting forth the advantages of the system to the commercial inter- 

 ests of the great lakes. 

 Yours very truly, 

 [Signed.] JOSEPH HENEY. 



Secretari/. 



E. R. Leland, Esq., of Eau Claire, spoke very eloquently of the 

 virtues, public and private, of the deceased Vice-President, whom 

 he had known intimately for many years. 



Remarks were also made by Prof. T. C. Chamberlain, of Beloit, 

 Dr. Lapham's successor as Director of the Geological Survey, of 

 the State, and R. D. Irving, Professor of Geology in the University 

 of Wisconsin. 



Dr. S. H. Carpenter, Professor of Logic and English Literature 

 in the University of Wisconsin, read an admirable review of the 

 life, mental characteristics, and writings of the late Hon. John Y. 

 Smith. Dr. Carpenter showed him to be a man of unusual power 

 of mind and great clearness of thought. Prof. W. F. Allen, Pro- 

 fessor of Latin and History in the University of Wisconsin, also 

 added his testimony to the statements made in Dr. Carpenter s pa- 

 per. 



A paper upon " Minority or Proportional Representation," by 

 Rev. F. M. Holland, of Baraboo, was then read by Prof. Allen. 



Adjourned till Wednesday morning, 9 a. m. 



