﻿187-1.] 
  

  

  President's 
  Address. 
  

  

  53 
  

  

  requirements, 
  and 
  continued 
  prosperity 
  ; 
  and 
  there 
  is, 
  I 
  am 
  sure, 
  every 
  

   disposition 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Government 
  to 
  recognize 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  

   privileges 
  conferred 
  on 
  the 
  Society 
  are 
  fully 
  reciprocated 
  by 
  the 
  multifa- 
  

   rious 
  aid 
  and 
  advice 
  furnished 
  by 
  your 
  Council 
  in 
  matters 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   importance 
  to 
  the 
  well-being 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  practice 
  of 
  electing 
  Fellows 
  of 
  the 
  so-called 
  privileged 
  class 
  whose 
  

   qualifications 
  were 
  limited 
  to 
  accident 
  of 
  lineage 
  or 
  political 
  status, 
  has 
  

   been 
  viewed 
  with 
  grave 
  dissatisfaction 
  by 
  many, 
  ever 
  since 
  the 
  election 
  

   of 
  ordinary 
  Fellows 
  was 
  limited 
  to 
  fifteen. 
  The 
  Council 
  has 
  in 
  con- 
  

   sequence 
  felt 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  its 
  duty 
  to 
  give 
  most 
  careful 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  

   subject, 
  which 
  it 
  referred 
  to 
  a 
  Committee, 
  whose 
  report 
  has 
  been 
  

   adopted 
  and 
  embodied 
  in 
  a 
  bye-law. 
  

  

  The 
  privileged 
  class 
  consisted, 
  as 
  you 
  are 
  aware, 
  of 
  certain 
  Royal 
  per- 
  

   sonages, 
  Peers 
  of 
  the 
  Realm 
  and 
  Privy 
  Councillors 
  (Statutes, 
  Sect. 
  IV. 
  

   cap. 
  1) 
  ; 
  and 
  they 
  were 
  balloted 
  for 
  at 
  any 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  Society, 
  after 
  

   a 
  week's 
  notice 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  any 
  Fellow, 
  without 
  a 
  suspended 
  

   certificate, 
  or 
  other 
  form 
  whatever. 
  

  

  The 
  Committee 
  reported 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  desirable 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  

   electing, 
  as 
  a 
  " 
  privileged 
  class," 
  persons 
  who, 
  while 
  precluded 
  by 
  public 
  

   duties 
  or 
  otherwise 
  from 
  meeting 
  the 
  scientific 
  requirements 
  custo- 
  

   mary 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  ordinary 
  Fellows, 
  possessed 
  the 
  power 
  and 
  had 
  

   shown 
  the 
  wish 
  to 
  forward 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  Society, 
  and 
  recommended 
  

   that 
  the 
  class 
  should 
  be 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  Princes 
  of 
  the 
  Blood 
  Royal, 
  and 
  

   members 
  of 
  Her 
  Majesty's 
  Privy 
  Council. 
  And 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   method 
  of 
  election, 
  they 
  recommended 
  that 
  a 
  Prince 
  of 
  the 
  Blood 
  Royal 
  

   might 
  be 
  publicly 
  proposed 
  at 
  any 
  ordinary 
  meeting, 
  and 
  balloted 
  for 
  at 
  

   the 
  next 
  ; 
  that, 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  Her 
  Majesty's 
  Privy 
  Council, 
  

   he 
  might 
  be 
  proposed 
  at 
  any 
  ordinary 
  meeting 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  certificate 
  

   prepared 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  Chap. 
  I. 
  Sect. 
  3 
  of 
  the 
  Statutes, 
  membership 
  

   of 
  the 
  Privy 
  Council 
  being 
  the 
  only 
  qualification 
  stated 
  — 
  the 
  certificate 
  

   being, 
  with 
  the 
  Society's 
  permission, 
  suspended 
  in 
  the 
  meeting-room 
  till 
  

   the 
  day 
  of 
  election, 
  which 
  should 
  fall 
  on 
  the 
  third 
  ordinary 
  meeting 
  after 
  

   suspension. 
  

  

  Having 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  eminent 
  services 
  to 
  the 
  State 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   rendered 
  by 
  Privy 
  Councillors, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  all 
  Peers 
  who 
  do 
  

   render 
  such 
  services 
  are 
  habitually 
  enrolled 
  on 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  Privy 
  Coun- 
  

   cillors, 
  it 
  was 
  believed 
  by 
  the 
  Council 
  that 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  thus 
  limiting 
  the 
  

   privileged 
  class 
  would 
  be 
  that 
  the 
  doors 
  of 
  the 
  Society 
  would 
  remain 
  open 
  

   to 
  all 
  such 
  Peers 
  as 
  desire 
  and 
  deserve 
  admission, 
  but 
  who 
  have 
  not 
  the 
  

   ordinary 
  qualifications 
  for 
  fellowship 
  ; 
  while 
  all 
  such 
  Peers 
  as 
  might 
  

   appear 
  with 
  claims 
  which 
  compete 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  ordinary 
  candidates 
  

   would 
  prefer 
  owing 
  the 
  fellowship 
  to 
  their 
  qualifications 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  

   their 
  birth. 
  

  

  The 
  Council 
  hopes 
  that 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  the 
  so-called 
  privileged 
  class 
  

  

  