72 Proposed Memorial to Dr. Oldham. [Apktj<, 



The motion of the Chainiian that the resolution of the Council be ac- 

 cepted and confirmed by the Society was carried unanimously. 



Db. Datid B. Smith said — Mr. President, when I came here this 

 evening I had no intention of speaking ; I find myself, however, strongly 

 imj)elled to make a few remarks with reference to Dr. Oldham's retire- 

 ment from India and from this Society. You have, Sir, this evening 

 laid before us a Resolution of the Council of the Society, conveying 

 an appropriate and graceful tribute to Dr. Oldham, yet I hope it may 

 not be considered presumptuous in me to say that I think the Society 

 would do itself honor by going a step ftirther, so as to have a last- 

 ing: Memorial of Dr. Oldham, in this room where we are now assem- 

 bled. Nearly a quarter of a century ago, when I was a student of Me- 

 dicine, and a jDupil of that great Naturalist Edwaed Foebes (whose writ- 

 ings and memory are still valued and cherished by men of Science), I well 

 remember his often alluding, in his Lectures, to Dr. Oldham as one of the 

 then foremost leaders of Geological Science. A quarter of a century has, I 

 am sure you will allow, not detracted from his fame in this respect ; but I 

 regret that I am altogether imable to dilate on this view of his charac- 

 ter ; indeed I am ashamed to think how meagrely I must at present allude 

 to it. For a good many years I have been a Member of this Society and 

 during some of these years I have had the honor of acting on the Council. 

 I feel sure that any one who has had the opportunities that I have had of 

 judging of Dr. Oldham's good services to this Society must place a high value 

 on them. A good man of business, careful, exact, regardless of too adverse 

 criticism or of party spirit, he has, as its often re-elected President, ever 

 had the interests of this Society closely at heart ; and I think that all of 

 us who can appreciate his attainments, and who have observed his earnest 

 interest in all Science, and his devotion to the good of this Society, must have 

 felt that in him we have had a really strong and safe man at the wheel. 

 I for one, Sir, should be very sorry to think that such a man should be 

 allowed to pass away from our midst, without some permanent Memorial of 

 him being in the possession of this Society. Whilst therefore I now speak 

 un-preparedly and in a manner quite unworthy of my subject, I beg very 

 strongly to suggest that it would well become the Asiatic Society of Bengal 

 to have, in this room, some Memorial of Dr. Oldham ; and I hope that the 

 Council, on behalf of the Society, may be pleased to take the initiative, so 

 that we may, ere long, have a picture or a bust of the distinguished man 

 who (I much regret to think) is amongst us this evening for the last time. 



The Chaieman" remarked that the proposals of the last speaker were 

 most congenial to his own feelings, and he should hail with the utmost satis- 

 faction any movement which would tend to give the Society a fitting Memo- 

 rial of the late President who had done so much for the Society. As it 



