PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



90 



doubt be held so in this country when it was known here." The presiden- 

 tial address consisted of details of the lines of stratigraphical and palseonto- 

 logieal discordances, and the horizons of unconformability in the Palaeozoic 

 group of rocks. Professor Ramsay said that it had been a practice with 

 previous presidents to review the chief geological results of the past year 

 in the anniversary address, but want of time had precluded his doing so, 

 and he had therefore selected a special topic, the first part of which he now 

 read to the meeting, and the continuation of which he would complete 

 on the next like occasion. 



In the debate on the official annual report, Mr. Charlesworth, in a 

 speech of more than an hour's duration, drew the attention of the Fellows 

 to systematic breakings of the fundamental rules of the society's charter 

 by the council, and to various other subjects in which he thought that im- 

 provement might be made. He said it was a scandal to the society, with 

 their large funds and competent income, to have advertised for a paid se- 

 cretary who had the responsible duties of the care of a valuable collection 

 and the editing of the most important publications, and to offer a salary of 

 £200 a year, without lodging or perquisites, while even the local institu- 

 tions of Bristol and York paid £250, with residences in their buildings. 

 He said that the recent election of the present assistant-secretary by the 

 council had been illegally done, and referred to passages in the charter as 

 distinctly stating that the election should be made by the Fellows them- 

 selves ; and, when some members of the council objected that the council 

 were empowered to elect an assistant-secretary by virtue of a bye-law dele- 

 gating such a power to them, Mr. Charlesworth replied by quoting other 

 passages from the charter, " that no b} r e-laws could be made at variance 

 to the rules of the charter," and he contended that therefore any such bye- 

 law must be not only objectionable but absolutely void in law, and that 

 any Fellow choosing to do so could, by an injunction of the Court of Queen's 

 Bench, set aside the election altogether. He also complained that the 

 minute-book had nol been laid on the table in accordance with the rules of 

 the society. Mr. Warmgton Smyth asked Mr. Charlesworth whether he 

 "u ished the time of the society to be taken up by the reading of the whole 

 of the entries relative to the council meetings for the last six months, as 

 over that period various notices relating to the appointment had been 

 made. Mr. Charlesworth said he wished the names of the candidates only 

 to be read. Mr. Warington Smyth then read an extract to the effect 

 " that the report of the committee for the election of an assistant-secretary 

 had been received by the council," and said that that minute did not con- 

 tain the names of the candidates. In reply to Mr. Charlesworth, the pre- 

 sident said he could not remember the names of the candidates. Informa- 

 tion on this subject was thus avoided by the council. Mr. Charlesworth 

 then drew attention to the state of the fossils in the museum, and stated 

 the collection was, at least as far as the liner and more delicate fossils 

 were concerned, in a worthless state. The specimens were in drawers and 

 covered only with paper. He alluded particularly to the valuable collec- 

 tion of Crag fossils presented by Mr. Searles "Wood — a collection that re- 

 presented the labours of a life — and the liner specimens of which were ab- 

 solutely destroyed. He proposed that the Society's colled ion should be 

 reduced in quantity to one-fourth, and that fourth be displayed for practi- 

 cal purposes in glass cases. 



The ollicers elected for the ensuing year are : — President — ProfeBSOT A. 

 C. Ramsay, F.lv.S. Vice- Presidents Sir L\ C Egerton, Bart., Ml'.. 

 F.ll.S. and L.S. ; R. A. C. God win- Austen, Esq., F.K.s. ; Leonard Eorner, 

 Esq., F.U.S. ; Sir Charles Lyell, F.K.S. and L.S. Secretaries — William 



