xlvi. 



Annual Report of the Council. 



It is with great regret that the Council informs the 

 Society that the following letter has been received from 

 Dr. Schunck : — 



" Kersal, 6th April, 1897. 



" Dear Mr. Gwyther, 



" I hardly think you will be surprised when I 

 " tell you that the purport of these lines is to inform you, 

 " and through you the Society, that I wish to resign the 

 " office of President, which I have held during the present 

 " session, that is, that I decline to hold it for longer than 

 " the present session. Before the last election of officers, 

 " I was urged by two parties in the Society to accept the 

 " position I now hold. I did so with great reluctance, but 

 " with the hope that the cause of peace might thereby be 

 " promoted. This has, I believe, to a certain extent been 

 " effected, and I, therefore, think I may now be relieved 

 " from the burden and obligations of office. 



" It is but seldom that, at my age, any man is able or 

 " can be expected to take an active interest in the affairs 

 "of an important Society such as this — the interest he 

 " takes must be more or less of a pococurante character. 

 " At my age many men can do little more than write a 

 " few almost unintelligble phrases in almost illegible lines. 

 u I can, thank heaven, do a little more than that. Still the 

 " exertion of doing what I was wont to do becomes great, 

 " and the desire for quiet and repose constantly increases. 



" I have been a member of this Society for more than 

 " 50 years, and for the greater part of the time engaged in 

 " some official capacity, either as Secretary, Vice-president, 

 " or President. I think, therefore, the time has come for 

 " me to respectfully decline any office the Society, or any 

 " majority of the Society, may wish to confer on me. 



" In looking back over the years I have been a member 

 " of the Society, I may say that I never knew the business 

 " of the Society to be more efficiently conducted than it is 

 " at present. 



