1 900. ] A nnua I A ddresm. 21 



The Prosidonf. also announced that two Kssays on the prescribed 

 subject of Chemistry had been received in competition for the Elliott 

 Prize for Scientific Research for 1899, but that neither of them were of 

 sufficient merit to justify the award of the prize. 



The outgoing President then delivered the Annual Address. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS, 1900. 



During the past year we have elected 30 new paying members. 

 Our numbers now stand higher than at any time since 1893, and they 

 are continually on the increase. The proposals of five Foreign Scientific 

 Societies of standing, to exchange publications with us, have been 

 accepted. 



The original papers presented for publication to the various 

 Secretaries have been so numerous that we have been compelled to 

 insist on compliance with the rule recently passed, forbidding the print- 

 ing of any paper whatever without the previous formal and specific 

 sanction of the Council. 



Several matters of special importance, both domestic and public, 

 have engaged the attention of the Council. 



As I'egardfi matters of domestic interest : we have amended and 

 reprinted our Rules, in consultation with the whole body of members ; 

 we have sanctioned nri-angements, which are now in progress, for a 

 much-needed Library Catalogue ; we have successfully averted a 

 proposal of the Municipality to greatly incrense our assessment; and, 

 finallj^, we have taken much pains to discover our own name. The 

 evidence of our title deeds makes for the view that we have still 

 the right to call ourselves " The Asiatic Society," but a sufficient 

 minority of members have voted against the proposal to resume the 

 original name and no change will be made. 



With regard to matters of public interest, the Society has taken 

 two important steps, both of them being towards the unification and 

 consolidation of Indian contributions to science. 



We have, at the request of a committee representing the Royal 

 Society, and with the countenance of the Governments of India 

 and Ceylon, undertaken to select and codify, from the mass of material 

 published in these two countries, all the local data required for 

 the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. This under- 

 taking, which involves the establishment, within the Society, of a 

 distinct department with definite responsibilities of its own, has been 



