396 BEPORT OF SUB-COMMITTEE. 



duty of the incoming committee to take the necessary steps for 

 insuring their legality. 



The set of Rules thus brought up by the Committee was ap- 

 proved by the meeting ; but it is to be observed that as no notice 

 thereof had been given at a previous General ^Meeting, the meet- 

 ing had no power in the matter. 



On the 19th June, 1866, a Special General Meeting was held, 

 when the proposed set of Rules, approved at the meeting of 26th 

 April, was expressed to be adopted with amendments ; but this 

 resolution was equally without authority, inasmuch as the Rules 

 could only be altered at an Annual Meeting, which the Special 

 Meeting was not, and did not assume to be. 



One of the provisions of the proposed new Rules was, that the 

 Annual Meeting should be held in the first week in February; 

 but this suggested regulation has been totally disregarded, the 

 Annual Meetings since 1866 liaWng been held as follows: — 



1868 July 9th. 



1870 May 10th. 



1872 April 22nd. 



1874 July 16th. 



1875 July loth. 



No Annual Meeting was held in 1867, 1869, 1871, or 1873. 



It appears, then, that no valid repeal or alteration of the Rules 

 was made in 1866, and that the Society is still governed by the 

 Rules set forth in the Trust-deed, subject to an alteration made 

 in 1835, as to the election of Honorarj- Members. 



It does not seem tluit the interests of the Society are affected 

 ]»y the circumstances stated. The appointment of officers was 

 regularly made at the last Annual Meeting ; which was held in 

 tlie Summer Assize week in accordance with the original Rules 

 still in force. 



It is, indeed, fortunate, that the original Rules were not super- 

 seded by those proposed in 1866, inasmuch as the latter exhibit 

 dift'cts in material points. Rut it is doubtless desirable that 

 steps should now be tak(>n for revising the code, and re-enacting 

 it in a form suitahlr to pn'sfMit requirements. 



THOM.VS BELL. fiiAiBMAX. 



