PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 
621 
In his address last year my predecessor, Professor David, fur- 
nished full particulars of what, it was supposed, was the final 
settlement — so far at least as this Society was concerned — of 
matters relating to the late Sir William Macleay's bequest for the 
endowment of a lectureship in Bacteriology. It was with some 
surprise, therefore, that in J uly last the Council received from the 
Senate of the Sydney University an intimation of its intention 
to relinquish the bequest, and to return the money to the 
executors. This was subsequently done, and the money paid by 
the executors into Court. On October 15th, 1895, on the petition 
of the Society, the Chief J udge in Equity made an order for the 
payment to the Society of the sum in question, less costs, namely, 
£1 2,704. This amount represents Sir William's original bequest 
of £12,000, less legacy duty and law costs, plus interest accruing 
on fixed deposit from the time of the receipt of the money by the 
University until that of its repayment to the executors. 
It devolves upon the Council, as the managers of the Society's 
affairs to provide for the investment and to keep invested the money 
to the best advantage; and out of the income to pay a competent 
Bacteriologist, and provide and maintain a suitable laboratory 
and appliances. 
The clause of the Memorandum attached to Sir William 
Macleay's will is as follows : — " Should the Senate decline all 
or any of these conditions I empower my executors to hand over 
the aforesaid sum of twelve thousand pounds to the Linnean 
Society of ISTew South Wales to provide a sufficient salary by the 
year to a competent Bacteriologist who shall be called the 
Bacteriologist to the Linnean Society and whose duties shall be to 
conduct original research in the Laboratory of the Society and to 
give instruction to one or two pupils at the discretion and under 
the orders and control of the Council of the Society any surplus 
to be applied to laboratory requirements." 
Thus it will be seen that the Council is left with discretionary 
powers in fixing both the amount of the Bacteriologist's salary, 
and the date of his appointment. In determining the first 
of these points, the Council has had to be guided by the 
