178 



Proceedings of Societies. 



[July 



Sir George said he could not sit down without adverting to the lamented loss 

 of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, noticed in the Council's Report. Having maintained 

 an unbroken literary and friendly intercourse with that amiable and eminent 

 individual for twenty-seven years, he had peculiar opportunities of estimating his 

 worth. When he reflected on his vast work of a complete English and Chinese 

 dictionary, and his entire version of the Holy Scriptures into the Chinese lan- 

 guage, and the important uses of these two great achievements, he could not but 

 consider that such a union of Christian zeal and eminent learning, so usefully 

 devoted to the good of mankind, had rarely, if ever, been exceeded. Sir George 

 concluded by submitting a motion of thanks to Sir Alexander Johnston, which 

 was seconded by James Alexander, Esq. and carried unanimously. 



Lieut.-Colonel Sykes suggested, that, as apartments in Somerset House were 

 likely, he understood, to be vacated by another society, he thought an early oppor* 

 tunity of putting in a claim for them should be taken by the Society. 



Charles Elliott, Esq. in moving that the thanks of the Society be voted to its 

 venerable director, could not, he said, allow this opportunity to pass without 

 reiterating his expression of extreme regret that ill-health had so long deprived 

 the Society of that gentleman's personal assistance. Seconded by Samuel Dyer, 

 Esq. and carried unanimously. 



The Right Hon. Sir Alexander Johnston proposed a vote of thanks to the 

 Right Hon. C. W. Williams Wynn, the president of the Society, which was 

 seconded by Sir George Staunton, and carried unanimously. 



Mr. Wynn, in returning thanks, said he really had on so many occasions, dur- 

 ing his twelve years' presidentship to the Society, received the kind support of 

 the members, that he could not doubt of that kindness being still continued to him, 

 however feeble might be his efforts to deserve it. He had great pleasure in wit- 

 nessing the very full attendance here this day ; and that fact was itself a powerful 

 argument to shew how desirable it was that the Society should be more advan- 

 tageously located. Gentlemen would allow him to say, that he felt the importance 

 of this object as strongly as any person; nor had he been wanting in his endea- 

 vours to forward it. With respect to the apartments at Somerset House, a repre- 

 sentation on behalf of the Society had been made, three or four years ago, to Lord 

 Althorp, and, since that time, very recently to Sir Robert Peel, and he must say 

 that both these parties received the representations in the most favourable man- 

 ner. However, it seemed to him very doubtful, as regarded the rooms in Somerset 

 House, whether they would not be required as public offices for the use of govern- 

 ment. Moreover, it was not at all likely that the apartments in question would be 

 vacated in so short a time as a year, as the new National Gallery would scarcely 

 be completed in that period. He had been assured, that when that time did arrive, 

 the claims of the Asiatic Society would meet with due attention, and would be con- 

 sidered as at least equal to those of any other Society. 



After a short eulogium on the late Dr. Morrison and Major-General Hardwicke, 

 whom the Society had lost during the past year, the right honourable gentleman 

 went on to say, that, since the last anniversary, two circumstances had happened, 

 to which he could not help alluding. The one was the publication of the valuable 

 and interesting Travels of Lieut. Burnes, a second edition of which was now be- 

 fore him. The Council of the Society had already presented that gentleman with 

 a diploma as Honorary Resident Member of the Society; and although the value 

 of that presentation was, in a pecuniary view, a trifling matter, it was a distinction 

 which the Society had conferred on Lieut. Burnes alone, and, as such, fully proved 

 its high sense of the merits of that distinguished traveller. 



