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cussed clause by clause by the Council, it was referred, for the 
purpose of final revision, to the Rev. Wm. Gaskell and Ur. 
R. A. Smith, and then presented to the Society for adoption. 
It will be seen, therefore, that the subject received a consider- 
able amount of attention and consideration from the Council. 
It was only after carefully weighing the reasons for and 
against each proposed alteration, that the alteration was 
finally adopted. The most important change which has been 
effected, is that of altering the rate of subscription from 
twenty-five shillings to two guineas per annum. The finan- 
cial condition of the Society seemed to the Council to render 
this change absolutely necessary. In order to prevent the 
increased rate of subscription proving a bar to the less wealthy 
members of the community, who might wish to join the 
Society, a provision was introduced into the new rules, 
allowing residents of the district, as well as non-residents, to 
become honorary or corresponding members on being recom- 
mended by the Council for election. 
Although some dissatisfaction was expressed by several 
members at the mode in which the proposed rules were 
adopted, the Council consider that the course taken by them 
was the only legitimate one open to them, and they trust that 
as a large majority of the Society decided in favour of the new 
rules, all feelings of animosity which may have arisen out of 
the discussion of the subject may be laid aside, and that all the 
members will cordially unite, for the purpose of increasing 
the prosperity of the Society and promoting the objects for 
which it was instituted. 
