ROYAL SOCIETY. 



APRIL, 1887, 



The opening meeting of the Royal Society for the Session 1887 took 

 place OQ April 19th, when His Excellency Sir Robert G. Crookshank 

 Hamilton, K.C.B., tookthechair, as President, at 7 "30. There was alarge 

 attendance, over 60 Fellows being present, and several visitors. 

 Among the Fellows present were the Bishcp of Tasmania, Sir Lambert 

 Dobson, the Hens. P. 0. Fysh, A. I. Clark, and Alfred Dobson. 

 His Excellency, who was accompanied by Lady Hamilton, and Mr. 

 H. W. B. Robinson, the private secretary, was met at the outer door 

 by the council, and Lady Hamilton was conducted to her seat by the 

 Hon. J. W. Agnew, the hon. secretary. 



His Excellency said : Gentlemen, it has given me great pleasure to 

 be present to-night at the opening of the Session of the Royal Society 

 of Tasmania. Among the many surprises I have experienced since 

 I came here, I do not know of any more striking or pleasant to 

 me than to find a society of this sort in such full operation and 

 vigour— a society devoted to the progress of science, and investigations 

 of a physical character throughout the island. I have been looking 

 at the volumes of your papers and proceedings which show how 

 extremely wide has been the area of operations and investigations of 

 the Society, including such diverse subjects as the occultation of Jupiter 

 and the drainge of Hobart. It often seems to me that the public 

 generally do not quite know how much they owe to societies of this 

 kind. The investigation of science not only adds to the stock of general 

 knowledge, and in that way adds to the stock of human happiness ; but 

 both directly and indirectly it leads to opening up new industries, to 

 the advancement and development of existing ones, and also tends 

 to add very much to the comfort of existence and to the extension 

 of the duration of that existence. It is not given to all of us to take 

 part in this investigation, but we all benefit by them, and I think 

 it is very important that every one should show their sympathy, and 

 by their material aid, if necessary, sympathise with such societies as 

 this. Both from an educational and a practical point of view, it is 

 very desirable that the operations of this Society should be encouraged 

 and extended. There is one thing more I should like to say. I had 

 heard, and was pleased to hear it, that ladies sometimes attended your 

 meetings, but I find that this evening there is no other lady present 

 except Lady Hamilton, (Cheers.) There are some subjects upon which, 

 I think, it is very important that the interest of women should be 

 aroused. Everything that tends to the health of the community and 

 subjects connected with sanitation are matters of the greatest import- 

 ance, in which it is desirable that women should be interested. I will 

 notnow detain you any longer, but will ask you to proceed with the first 

 business, which is the election of new members. (Applause.) 



The following gentlemen were declared elected as Fellows of the 

 Society : — Revs. Canon Geo. Fred. Archer, A. Martin, P. E. Raynor, 

 Warden of Christ's College; Colonel Cruickshank, R.E., Messrs. W. 

 Sleeman, C.E., Edward David Dobbie, Solicitor-General, George 

 Wilson Waterhouse, B.A., barrister at-law, C J. Parkinson, M.D., 

 House-Surgeon Hobart Hospital, and Wm. Benson. 



