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efficient conduct of the affairs of the Institute, and I recommend the motion 

 to the acceptance of the meeting. (Cheers.) 



Mr. G. C. Harrison seconded the resolution. Unanimously agreed to. 



Mr. A. McArthur. — My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen, — Our time is 

 limited and valuable this evening, and there are yet several speakers to address 

 the meeting, to whom I am sure you will listen with very great pleasure and 

 profit. You have also to hear, what I have no doubt all of you will pro- 

 nounce very admirable, the Annual Address from Professor Kirk, who is 

 no stranger to this Institute, and has on several occasions rendered us 

 valuable and efficient services. (Cheers.) I feel, therefore, that it would be 

 altogether out of place were I to occupy many moments of your time. 

 AUow me, however, on behalf of the Council of the Victoria Institute, to 

 thank the meeting for the manner in which this vote of confidence has been 

 proposed, seconded, and received. I am quite sure that the Council of the 

 Institute appreciate and value this expression of confidence on the part of the 

 members, and I trust that during the coming year they will endeavour to 

 make themselves still more worthy of such a resolution on a future occasion. 

 I may just say that most of the members of the Council are gentlemen who 

 are largely engaged in various ways, whose time is very valuable, and I 

 believe that nothing but a sense of duty would have induced them to devote 

 so much of their time to the Institute as they have done. They have felt, as 

 has already been expressed in the report, and by one or two speakers, that 

 an Institute of this kind was necessary and calculated to be useful ; and every 

 succeeding year since its commencement has fully convinced us that we were 

 right in the ideas we then entertained. I may also say, with reference 

 to the remark of the seconder of the motion, that the unpaid work of 

 the Institute has been well done, that we are under many obligations to 

 our honorary treasurer and secretary. (Cheers.) The duties of the treasurer 

 are not very onerous or heavy, but he has discharged them faithfully and 

 efficiently. The duties, however, of the secretary have been very onerous, 

 very laborious, and very successful. (Cheers.) The secretary, on his part, 

 has intimated that the success of the Institute has arisen from two or three 

 causes — one, the fact that we have not had to pay a secretary, and another, 

 the increase of members. But, my lord, I think I express the opinion of 

 the Council and of all the members of the Institute who know much about 

 its working, when I say that the great progress we have made during the past 

 eighteen months has been mainly and almost entirely owing to the inde- 

 fatigable exertions of our honorary secretary. (Cheers.) He has thrown an 

 amount of energy into the work which has surprised and delighted us all. 

 Many of us, when deprived of the valuable services of our late esteemed 

 and worthy honorary secretary, Mr. Reddie — who was suddenly cut down — 

 felt very much disheartened, and were afraid that the Institute, if it 

 did not positively go down, would suffer very materially. But, my lord, we 

 have here an illustration of the old adage, that while Providence buries 

 His workmen. He carries on His work. Captain Petrie came to our assist- 

 ance. He has rendered us most valuable and efficient services, and it is 



