ORDINARY MEETING, April 3, 1882. 
H. Cadman Jones, Esq., in the Chair. 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the 
following elections were announced : — 
Members : — Lady Alicia Blackwood, Boxmoor ; J. M. Head, Esq., Reigate. 
Also the presentation for the library of the following works : — 
“ Proceedings of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science.” From the same. 
“ Translation of Epistle to the Hebrews.” By J. E. Howard, F.R.S. Ditto. 
The following paper was then read by the author : — 
MATERIALISM. By C. W. Richmond, one of the Judges 
of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. 
M aterialism is a system of thought which regards 
the universe, including man and the mind of man, as 
solely consisting of or produced by matter, or what is called 
material force. The importance of such a doctrine cannot 
be over-estimated, since it apparently implies disbelief in the 
existence of God and in the moral freedom of man. God 
disappears in this system of thought as a needless hypothesis, 
whilst man is reduced to a mere effect of the powers of 
nature. Such, at least, appear to me the logical results of 
the doctrine. 
Yet it is certain that Materialism has been the philosophic 
creed of men, both in ancient and in modern times, whose 
aspirations were lofty, and whose lives were temperate, labo- 
VOL. XVI, 1 
