124 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [May, 



therefore confine himself to calling on the Secretary to read the letters 

 from Mr. Oldham. (These have been already published, see Proceedings 

 for April, 1868.) He then proposed on the part of the Council, the 

 resolution itself in the following words :- — 



" That the Office of President be declared to be vacant, inasmuch 

 " as Dr. Oldham has declined to accept it or to assume its duties, 

 " after having been duly elected thereto, and informed of that elec- 

 " tion." , 



A question being raised, as to whether this resolution required to be 

 seconded, it was moved by Mr. Bourke, and seconded by Dr. Colles, 

 and carried, " That resolutions coming from the Council do not require 

 to be seconded." 



After a considerable pause, Mr. Bourke wished to propose an 

 amendment on the resolution of the Council, but the Chairman, on 

 hearing it, stated that it could not be accepted as an amendment. Being 

 a substantive proposition in itself negativing the original proposition, 

 it might be considered after the resolution had been disposed of, but 

 not till then. Mr. Bourke would wish to alter the wording, but the 

 Chairman not accepting this either, Mr. Bourke said his only course 

 then was, to adopt unquestioned precedent, and frame the amendment 

 out of the actual words of the resolution — He moved, 

 : "That, the word 'not' be inserted between the words 'be' and 

 ' vacant,' and also the word ' not' between the words ' has' and 

 t declined.' " 



« Mr. Oldham moved the amendment of which he had given notice : 

 " That the words of the resolution, from ' after having been' &c, to 

 the end be omitted, being inconsistent with the facts." The question 

 for the meeting to decide was, whether there had been a clue election 

 of officers, he declined to assume the duties of the Presidentship until 

 a decision on that point had been come to by the only competent 

 body, — the Society — but he had not declined the office after such due 

 election. 



{ Dr. Waldie wished to propose, " That the Society do not consider 

 the informality in the proceedings of the last Annual General Meeting 

 to.be of such a nature as ought to vitiate the proceedings of that 

 meeting, and resolve that the election of President and Council then 

 made, be. ratified and confirmed." 



