347 
did not.make any observations on an occasion of this kind, but in the 
present instance he felt it to be his imperative duty to state to the Aca- 
demy the facts of the case, because he had reason to think that there 
Was some misapprehension on the subject. It was probably in the recol- 
lection of the Academy that the gentleman recommended to them by 
the Council was particularly mentioned in the Annual Report of the 
Council presented and adopted at the last Stated Meeting of the Aca- 
demy, on the 16th of March last. He was then publicly thanked 
as having conferred special benefit on the Academy; but the reward he 
received for that benefit was, that at the very same meeting his name was 
struck off the Council. That was done, it was true, by a majority ofone only; 
and no doubt there was some very great mistake on the subject in the 
minds of the members who were induced to vote against him. But, 
having reason to think that the same feelings still continued, he (the Pre- 
sident) felt it his duty to state that the reason why the Council had re- 
commended him to them for election now was their sense of the injustice 
done him on the 16th of March last. For himself, he (the President) 
had no hesitation in saying that, in his long experience as a Member of 
Council, and during his long official connexion with the Academy, he 
did not think that they ever had a more useful Member of the Council 
than that gentleman was. He would not occupy their time by any 
any further remarks; but he would be wanting in his duty as President 
of that Academy if he did not express thé very strongest disapproval of 
one of the means used to prejudice this election. It was not only unfair, 
but unconstitutional, and most injurious to the best interests of the Aca- 
demy, to print anonymous letters in the newspapers against any parti- 
cular individual, and that on the very morning of the election, when no 
reply could, in the nature of things, be made until it was too late. If 
there were any objection to the gentleman, let it be boldly stated 
before the Academy. That was the fair and honourable course; and the 
Academy, no doubt, would listen with great attention to anything which 
might be so advanced. But it was neither fair nor right for a Member 
of the Academy to impugn anonymously in a newspaper the motives of 
the Council in the recommendations which it was their duty to make to 
the Academy. It gave the public a wrong idea of the Academy, and 
lowered the Society in public respect. Who would wish to belong to 
any body whose practice it was to tolerate anonymous attacks in the 
newspapers upon its Members? He trusted the Academy would not 
tolerate such a practice; todo so would besuicidal. And, therefore, for 
himself, as the President of the Academy, he felt that he could not be 
silent on such an occasion as that. Let any Member who thought the 
Council to be in error in the recommendation they had made, stand up 
there in his place and sayso. An explanation might then be given, and 
the truth brought forth ; it was only fair and just to hear both sides; but 
an anonymous attack was never fair or just: it was stabbing an adversary 
from behind, and in the dark. 
