49 
merit to him, and no doubt to his fellow officers, that their endeavours to 
promote the interests of the Society had been so well and so kindly re- 
ceived. He could assure them he would not fail, so long as he continued 
to hold the office of Hon. Secretary, to forward the interests of the Society 
to the utmost of his power. He had one source of uneasiness, that he 
was heavily pressed for time, and that he could not devote so much time 
as he should like, and had done in years past, to the affairs of the Society. 
The members of the Council, however, and his brother officers, had tried 
to ease the burden falling on him individually, and on that ground the ex- 
cursions would be managed, not as hitherto, by the Hon. Secretary, but by 
a deputation from the Council, for the time they took up was more than 
he could devote from his own private affairs. The excursions for this year 
had not been completely fixed, but in the Council the following had been 
spoken of — to Penarth, near Cardiff ; Charfield, near Gloucester ; and 
May Hill; neither had it been determined which would be first, or on what 
day. These matters must be settled by the gentlemen who would have to 
undertake the management of the excursions, and who had not yet been 
appointed. He hoped the excursions would be as pleasant as they were 
last year, and as numerously attended. His experience had been that the 
most distant excursions were usually the best attended. 
Mr. W. W. Stoddart, Hon. Treasurer, also acknowledged the vote of 
thanks, and hoped the Society would sustain him in his efforts to make 
both ends meet, by agreeing to the proposition he had made. 
Mr. S. H. S wayne said that although their thanks had been voted to 
the officers generally, he felt that one duty remained, and that was to 
thank the President personally. He was quite sure it would not 
be fair for them to separate without thanking the President, for the 
very perfect manner, he might say, in which the affairs of the Society had 
been presided over by him, and he was sure he only expressed the general 
feeling of the Society, when he said that he hoped it might be a very long 
time before they should have to choose another President. 
Major Austin most cordially seconded the proposition, and it was 
carried by acclamation. 
The President said he felt very grateful to them. The constant 
courtesy he had received was very gratifying, and had enabled him to con- 
duct the business of the meetings with great pleasure to himself, and so 
long as that mutual kindly feeling continued, no doubt their meetings 
would always be agreeable to each other. Therefore he accepted the vote 
with thankfulness, and was very much obliged to the proposer and seconder, 
and to the meeting for adopting it so kindly. 
