Minutes of Proceedings. 221 



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the matter of material resources, or of -wealth, and prosperity. I am 

 sanguine enough to believe that we already see some symptoms of a 

 distinct and decided and even a rapid improvement in the material 

 prosperity of this country ; and I trust, as I am sure you, gentlemen, 

 all trust, that one of the first, and certainly one of the most 

 important and one of the brightest results of such a return to 

 prosperity would consist in the fact that those subjects in which you 

 are deeply interested, and art and science generally, may receive an 

 ever -increasing degree of material encouragement, without which it 

 is impossible that they can be properly promoted. I hope that this 

 Academy will long continue to foster th.e studies which it has so 

 nobly encouraged ; and I cannot conclude with any better or higher 

 wish than this — that Ireland may never be wanting in distinguished 

 sons like our President, who has spent an illustrious life in the 

 culture of these scientific, literary, and artistic pursuits, the develop- 

 ment of which is the real object of the foundation and existence of 

 this great Academy. 



Sir John Eanks seconded the resolution, and said — 



I esteem it a very great honour to have been asked to second this 

 vote of thanks, following his Excellency, who has proposed it in such 

 graceful and gracious terms. The Royal Irish Academy has since its 

 foundation been fortunate in having for its Presidents men of whom 

 Ireland may well be proud. The president has spoken of some of 

 his immediate intellectual predecessors, and I am sure we are all 

 happy to see here this evening two of those intellectual predecessors, 

 my honoured friends Dr. Graves the Lord Bishop of Limerick and 

 Dr. Haughton. To the names that the President has mentioned I 

 would venture to add the great names of Charlemont, Brinkley, and 

 Bartholomew Lloyd. The President says that he less worthily fills 

 the chair which has been filled by his predecessors ; now, I venture 

 to say that the unanimous vote of the Academy would tell that 

 he well and worthily fills it, and that the name of Ingram will be 

 added to the roll of illustrious Presidents. 



The President has spoken of the portraits that look down upon us 

 from these walls ; and I should like to say that the best portraits are 

 the portraits of the Bishop of Limerick and Dr. Haughton. And 

 the cause is not far to seek. The accomplished artist had the 



