1875.] Nomination of Honorary Members. 157 



The President also announced that Mr. W. T. Blanford had been, 

 appointed a Member of the Physical Science, Natural History and Library 

 Committees. 



Further, that the Council were desirous of recalling all Library books 

 now out with Members, in order that they might be incorporated in the 

 new Catalogue now under preparation, and would therefore request members 

 to return any books they might have. They would only be wanted for a 

 short time. 



Mr. Blanford said he wished to ask the President one or two ques- 

 tions relative to one of the nominations for Honorary Members just laid 

 before the meeting. 



The President asked under what rule ? 



Mr. Blanford replied that his questions related to business before the 

 meeting. 



The President said, that there was no business before the meeting. 



Mr. Blanford then proposed and Major H. H. Godwin- Austen second- 

 ed the following motion — 



" That in accordance with the provisions of Rule 28, clause c, the 

 order of business under Rule 29 be suspended in order to. the transaction of 

 business of an urgent nature, viz. the question of the nomination of an 

 Honorary Member, just laid before the Society." 



The President explained that the election of Honorary Members was 

 not before the meeting, but that the Council had nominated three under the 

 rules of the Society, and that they would be balloted for in the usual way 

 at the next meeting. 



Dr. Ewart, seconded by Major Fryer, proposed an amendment to the 

 effect that the question raised by Mr. Blanford was not of an urgent nature. 



The President said that the meaning of the proviso quoted by Mr. 

 Blanford was clear, it was to admit of such rare cases in which it was 

 urgently necessary that the business should be completed on the same even- 

 ing, and therefore to dispense with the necessity of notice of motion. Now 

 it was obvious that the question raised was not of this kind and, more than 

 this, it was a question with which neither individual members nor the 

 meeting at large could interfere. The candidates for Honorary Member- 

 ship had been nominated by the Council, and the members could not inter- 

 fere with that nomination. They could reject the candidates, but nothing 

 more. He, therefore, in virtue of the power vested in him as President, 

 ruled that the business brought forward by Mr. Blanford was not of an 

 urgent nature, and would not come under the rules. He would, in con- 

 sequence, decline to put either the amendment or motion to the meeting 

 as such suspension of the ordinary business would be in opposition to the 



