JUBILEE MEETING. — PRESENTATION TO SECRETARY. 
471 
The President then said : It now becomes my very pleasant duty 
to present to you on behalf of the subscribers whose names are written 
under this address this microscope, of which they ask your acceptance, 
I trust that you will receive it from us as a proof of our very high 
esteem for the services which, for the lengthened period of twelve 
years, you have rendered to this society in the position of its hon. 
secretary. Your services to science date back to a longer period than 
that, but your services to this society, the zeal and earnestness with 
which you have laboured for its objects, and the life which you have 
inspired in it, are such as to give you the very highest claim to such 
an acknowledgment as that we are now taking the liberty of offering 
you. (Applause.) I have been now fur some years president — I was 
going to say, of an ornamental description ; but it is you, sir, who 
have done the work, and it is to you that the society so greatly owes 
the life by which it is now animated. And under these circumstances 
it is indeed fitting that upon this occasion of our Jubilee, in this 
memorable year in the history of our society, we should take the 
opportunity of telling you, and others besides our own members, how 
highly we esteem the course you have pursued, how gratefully we 
recognize your services, and how earnestly we hope it may please 
God to spare your life, that you may still afford the society that 
assistance which you have hitherto given it. (Applause.) 
Mr. J. W. Davis in reply said : Permit me to thank you for 
this beautiful and most useful present ; were I to attempt to express 
my sense of appreciation and gratitude for so kind a token of the 
kindly feeling of the members of this society towards myself, I feel 
that I should signally fail. It is gratifying to me to know that the 
services which I have attempted to render to the society, have met 
with the approval of you, my lord, and of the members. I have 
always hitherto tried to discharge the duties conscientiously, and 
with courtesy to all ; and if it should be the desire of the society, 
and it sees fit to re-elect me to the honourable office I have so much 
pleasure in filling, I shall, I trust, continue to serve its best interests 
with such zeal and care as I may be able. I thank you, my lord, 
ladies and gentlemen, very heartily, for this expression of sympathy 
and kindness you have given me. (Applause.) 
