184 
and we must as yet also look carefully to the finances of the Society. But 
if Professor Macdonald will only favour ns with a translation of some valuable 
continental work, we shall give him plenty of time, and I think before he is 
likely to be ready with it, we shall have funds to carry it through the press, 
without inconvenience. I may add that I have no doubt that these publica- 
tions will be remunerative,— and, indeed, I should be sorry if any gentleman 
engaged in supplying translations should not be well paid for his trouble. 
And°I am also sure of this, that a book ought to have an unlimited, not a 
limited, circulation, in order to do good ; and our intention is, although we 
shall require funds to start the undertaking, that the authors shall be well 
remunerated, and in the same way they would be by a publisher for any good 
book. I trust that bye and bye the “ Imprimatur” of this Society will be as 
great a recommendation for the books we publish, as the Imprimatur of some 
other societies might perhaps tend to deter people from purchasing their 
books. — I will not mention names. (Laughter.) 
The Chairman then called upon the Honorary Secretary, who read the 
following Address to the meeting : — 
ANNUAL ADDRESS. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Two years ago, on the 24th May, 1865, the proposal to found 
the Victoria Institute was first put forth, and its foundation 
laid. Within a year from that date it had gathered such 
strength, that its first founders saw that their hopes would be 
realized ; and the proceedings of the Institute were publicly 
and formally inaugurated at the First General Meeting of its 
Members and Associates, held on 24th May, 1866. Upon 
that occasion the Inaugural Address was delivered by our 
Vice-President, the Kev. Walter Mitchell; and I doubt not it 
has been the general expectation that at the present Anni- 
versary Meeting the First Annual Address would also be 
delivered by him. I feel, therefore, you may be assured, the 
great disadvantages attendant upon occupying my present 
position — the disadvantage of coming after one so highly 
qualified in every respect to address you upon some of those 
highest matters of philosophy and science, the consideration 
of which is the primary object of our association ; the dis- 
