believe would get if they were fully at one with us as to the measures which ought to be taken.

The CHAIRMAN: Before bringing the proceedings to a close I rise to ask you to join in giving a cordial vote of thanks to Sir George Chesney for his kindness in coming amongst us this evening and for the able, thoughtful, and suggestive address he has delivered. I said at the outset that the subject selected for the evening appeared to be rather a larger one, but Sir George Chesney has so skilfully handled it that he has brought it within measurable limits at all events for this evening-and he gave a practical direction to the discussion by limiting the questions which he presented for our consideration. The subject of his remarks was virtually limited to the relations of the Mother Country with the great self-governing Colonies, and the object of his remarks was to discover how best the governing powers of the two might be brought together for the common interests and the common defence of all. What he so ably said on the subject-though I was unable personally to agree with all that he said-and what was said by those who succeeded him, to whom also our best acknowledgments are due for the opinions, criticism, and suggestions which they contributed to the discussion-what they all have said on the subject has furnished us with a valuable conception of an important question and with abundant material for our consideration and reflection. In tendering on your behalf to Sir George Chesney our warm acknowledgments for his presence this evening and for the able address he has delivered, I feel I am only fulfilling, however inadequately, your wishes.

Sir GEORGE CHESNEY: The evening has advanced so far that I will not attempt to make use of what I believe is the privilege of the person who has the honour of opening the discussion by replying to the various points which have been raised. There are only two points to which I will refer. Sir John Colomb alluded to the incongruity of one British Prime Minister sitting in a Council with eleven Colonial Prime Ministers. I ought to have said, no doubt, and I believe I intended to say, that before the scheme is carried out we must assume that the federation has been carried out of the Colonial systems of Australia and the Cape, as it has been already for the Dominion of Canada. Granted that has been done, the number of Prime Ministers who would come to the Imperial Council would be materially reduced. One other point. Sir John Colomb has said, "If you abolish the Colonial Office, what is to become of the various

Crown Colonies?"

I answer that I would retain the Colonial Office for the Crown Colonies, and I think the Office would be usefully and adequately employed in that way. With these remarks I beg to thank you for your kind reception of my speech, and to propose a vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding.

The CHAIRMAN responded, and the proceedings terminated.

188

TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

THE Twenty-Sixth Annual General Meeting was held in the Library of the Institute, Northumberland Avenue, on Tuesday, February 27, 1894.

Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G., presided.

Amongst those present were the following:

SIR AUGUSTUS J. ADDERLEY, K.C.M.G., SIR JOHN W. AKERMAN, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. J. F. ALDENHOVEN, J. W. ALEXANDER, ROBERT ALLEN, W. ANDREWS, T. ARCHER, C.M.G., CAPT. Wм. ASHBY, REV. J. W. ASHMAN, M.D., MESSRS. A. REID BAIRD, A. BALDWIN, M.P., W. BARRATT, HENRY BEAUCHAMP, J. BEAUMONT, G. BEETHAM, CAPT. J. H. H. BERKELEY, MESSRS. L. H. BLISS, W. W. BONNYN, S. BOURNE, E. BOWLEY, F. R. BRADFORD, THE BISHOP OF BRISBANE, D.D., Dr. A. M. BROWN, MR. S. B. BROWNING, SIR HENRY BULWER, G.C.M.G., MR. J. H. BUTT, REV. H. J. CAMPBELL, MESSRS. E. CHAPMAN, A. F. CHARRINGTON, MAJOR WM. CLARK, MESSRS. HYDE CLARKE, A. CLAYDEN, A. B. COBB, J. COCHRAN, SIR JOHN COLOMB, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. J. A. COOPER, S. H. COTTON, G. COWIE, W. S. CUFF, C. E. CULLEN, GENERAL SIR H. C. B. DAUBENEY, G.C.B., MESSRS. T. HARRISON DAVIS, W. DUDGEON, A. DUTHOIT, FREDERICK DUTTON, LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR J. BEVAN EDWARDS, K.C.M.G., C.B., MESSRS. STANLEY EDWARDS, C. WASHINGTON EVES, C.M.G., SIR W. J. FARRER, MR. J. H. FAWCETT, SIR DOUGLAS GALTON, K.C.B., MESSRS. H. O'H. GILES, J. GIRDWOOD, C. G. GORDON, CARDROSS GRANT, MAJORGENERAL SIR HENRY GREEN, K.C.S.I., C.B., MESSRS. W. S. SEBRIGHT GREEN, W. G. HALES, H. B. HALSWELL, T. J. HANLEY, SIR ROBERT HAMILTON, K.C.B., Mr. G. HARDIE, DR. E. A. HARDWICKE, MESSRS. W. H. HEATON, A. A. HERON, REV. A. STYLEMAN HERRING, MR. JUSTICE A. P. HENSMAN, SIR ARTHUR HODGSON, K.C.M.G., MR. GEORGE HUGHES, DR. C. INGLIS, MESSRS. H. J. JOURDAIN, C.M.G., P. KOENIG, H. A. KROHN, SURGEON-MAJOR J. J. LAMPREY, MESSRS. J. LASCELLES, F. G. LLOYD, H. LLOYD, A. H. LORING, SIR HUGH LOW, G.C.M.G., MR. W. A. Low, LIEUT.-GENERAL R. W. LOWRY, C.B., MESSRS. NEVILE LUBBOCK, G. LUMGAIR, J. L. LYELL, G. MCCULLOCH, M. MACFIE, A. MACKENZIE MACKAY, G. S. MACKENZIE, JAMES MARTIN, COLONEL R. LEE MATTHEWS, MESSRS. A. MOORE, J. R. Mosse, SIR M. F. OMMANNEY, K.C.M.G., DR. A. ORONHYATEKHA, MR. G. R. PARKIN, MAJOR J. ROPER PARKINGTON, SIR WESTBY PERCEVAL, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. H. A PERKINS, A. RADFORD, C. C. RAWSON, G. H. RHODES, E. ROBINS, CAPT. W. P. ROCHE, MESSRS. B. L. RONALD, F. ROPER, DR. D. P. Ross, C.M.G., MR. E. G. SALMON, SIR SAUL SAMUEL, K.C.M.G., C.B., MESSRS. A. SCLANDERS, R. N. SHIRE, C. SHORT, COMMANDER H. G. SIMPSON, R.N., MESSRS. C. C. SKARRAtt, H. G. SLADE, SIR F. VILLENEUVE SMITH, MESSRS. E. STREET, J. STUART, G. H. SYKES, G. J. SYMONS, PROFESSOR H. TANNER, MESSRS. L. W. THRUPP, G. A. TOMKINSON, J. WAGHORN, H. A. WICKHAM, J. P. G. WILLIAMSON, J. WILSON, G. H. C. WRIGHT, J. C. WYLIE, SIR JAMES A. YOUL, K.C.M.G., AND MR. J. S. O'HALLORAN (SECRETARY).

The Secretary read the notice convening the meeting.

The CHAIRMAN: I have now to declare the ballot open for the election of members of the Council, and in doing so I would observe that since the issue of the ballot paper we have, most unfortunately,

lost by death our esteemed friend, Mr. Peter Redpath, whose name appears on the paper as a member of the Council (not retiring). As Mr. Redpath's death has occurred so recently, the Council thought that the more courteous course would be not to elect anyone in his place, but to leave to the Fellows themselves at the Annual Meeting the choice of his successor. At the same time, bearing in mind that the principle on which the Council has always acted has been to endeavour to select gentlemen representing the different Colonies, and that we have recently lost three gentlemen identified with the Dominion of Canada, viz. Sir Alexander Galt, Dr. John Rae, and Mr. Redpath, the Council beg to suggest the name of Mr. George W. Parkin, also a representative of Canada and a life Fellow. This is merely a suggestion on the part of the Council. I now beg to name as scrutineers of the ballot Mr. Frederick Dutton and Mr. Leonard W. Thrupp, who have kindly volunteered to undertake the duty.

Mr. EDWARD SALMON: Before the ballot is taken, I am anxious to say a few words about a little movement that has recently been taking place.

The CHAIRMAN: I am sorry thus early to interrupt anybody, but I cannot permit discussion before the ballot is opened, because, according to rule, that is the first thing we have to do on the present occasion.

Mr. SALMON: May I say that my remarks are entirely with reference to the ballot, and that I wish to explain that a movement has recently taken place with a view to making the election to the Council a real election, and not merely, as it is to-day, a nomination. (Cries of "Order.") I hope I am not out of order.

The CHAIRMAN: It is quite within the power of any Fellow, as you will see if you look at the ballot paper, to put any name he pleases in place of any suggested by the Council. The paper says:"If any Fellow desires to alter the list proposed by the Council, he must erase the names he proposes to omit, and enter those he desires to substitute for them in the last column." This gives anyone not satisfied with the names the Council propose perfect power to substitute any other name. It is not permissible, I think, to allow discussion on the ballot at this particular period.

Mr. SALMON: As a point of order, may I mention the names of gentlemen who have been selected by a considerable body of

us ?

The CHAIRMAN: That would hardly be in order, because everyone can choose for himself. It has never been the practice here to

mention anyone at all, and the only reason I mentioned the name of Mr. Parkin is that we have perfect power to elect him in the place of Mr. Redpath-subject, of course, to the confirmation of the meeting-but, for the reason I mentioned, we have refrained from doing so. We simply submit his name as that of an excellent representative on the Council of the Dominion of Canada. Mr. SALMON: I must bow to your ruling, sir.

The SECRETARY read the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting, and the minutes of the Special General Meeting of Fellows of March 29, 1893, both of which were confirmed.

Mr. THRUPP: As one of the scrutineers, may I point out that the ballot paper as presented to the Fellows will have to be altered? I suppose the name of Mr. Redpath must be struck out by each Fellow before he votes, and the name of anyone else whom he chooses inserted?

The name

The CHAIRMAN: That is really what is intended. should be struck out and any other name substituted in the last column.

The Annual Report, which had been previously circulated amongst the Fellows, was taken as read.

REPORT.

The Council have much pleasure in presenting to the Fellows their Twenty-sixth Annual Report.

During the past year 59 Resident and 184 Non-Resident Fellows have been elected, or a total of 243, as compared with 255 during the preceding year. On December 31, 1893, the list included 1,305 Resident, 2,434 Non-Resident, and 10 Honorary Fellows, or 3,749 in all, of whom 818 have compounded for the Annual Subscription, and thus qualified as Life Fellows.

The Honorary Treasurer's Statement of Accounts is appended. Notwithstanding the general depression of industries and agriculture, and the severity of the financial crisis in Australia, checking materially the flow of visitors to the Mother Country, the income of the Institute has, on the whole, been well maintained.

The obituary of the year 1893 comprises the names of 74 Fellows, including two Vice-Presidents and three Councillors :

William Aitchison, Sir James Anderson, W. A. B. Anderson (Transvaal), George Bennett, M.D. (New South Wales), D. P. Blaine, A. M. Borland (British Honduras), Aubrey Bowen, M.R.C.S. (Victoria), J. C. Brodie (Ceylon), Garrett Brown (Cape Colony), Hon. Thomas Burges, M.L.C. (Western Australia), E. J. Burt (West Africa), John A. G. Campbell (Straits Settlements),