Report of Society's Meetings. 307 
credit at the present time, and no doubt the Directors 
could have done great things with such a balance. He 
found that a great number of people, and some of them 
very intelligent people though poor, were very anxious 
that the rates of subscription should be reduced, and be- 
lieving as he did that the society required to have new 
blood infused into it, he should support the motion. 
Mr. D. C. Cameron in supporting the spirit of the 
motion, moved as an amendment, that the rates for 
town members be reduced from $16 to $10, of country 
members from $12 to $8, and of associates from $8 to 
$5 ; which he thought would be dealing justly and 
equally with all grades. 
Rev. J. Foreman seconded the amendment. 
The President said that before putting the motion to 
the vote, he would like, as President of the society 
and as having been connected with it for very many 
years, to explain his position there and also to say some- 
thing about his brother Directors. It must be gratifying 
indeed to members of the society met here to-day to be 
told that the society was possessed of such a plethora of 
wealth as to be described as disgustingly rich. He could 
only tell members that when he joined the society and 
was asked to accept the President's chair, the then Secre- 
tary, the late Mr. W. H. Campbell, who took a warm 
interest in and did much to advance the position of the 
society, came to him and said, " Mr. Russell, unless you 
can do something to put life into the dry bones of the 
society, we are going to be hopelessly bankrupt." Such 
was the state of the society. He promised to do what 
he could as the President, and according to his lights 
he infused a little fresh life into the society. They were 
QQ 2 
