as far as New South Wales railways are concerned." I do not think Sir Saul Samuel would have said what he did had he borne in mind what I said in that passage. To the Bishop of Ballarat I would say that I did not read the paragraph about the crayfish, because it did not express any definite opinion, and the evidence is so conflicting that I came to no conclusion upon it. With regard to what the Chairman said, to Albany, the only way in which I alluded to that place was that I said Albany must be the base for cruisers which were defending the trade converging both from the Suez Canal and the Cape of Good Hope on the Australian coast. I will now ask you to give a hearty vote of thanks to my friend the Chairman.

This having been done, the meeting separated.

TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

THE Twenty-ninth Annual General Meeting was held in the
Library of the Institute, Northumberland Avenue, on Tuesday,
February 16, 1897.

Sir Robert G. W. Herbert, G.C.B., a Vice-President, presided.
Amongst those present were the following:-

SIR JAMES A. YOUL, K.C.M.G., SIR HENRY BARKLY, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., SIR FREDERICK YOUNG, K.C.M.G., SIR WILLIAM C. F. ROBINSON, G.C.M.G., SIR MONTAGU F. OMMANNEY, K.C.M.G., SIR CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH, G.C.M.G., SIR HENRY BULWER, G.C.M.G., LIEUTENANT-GENERAL R. W. LOWRY, C.B., SIR JOHN AKERMAN, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. S. VAUGHAN MORGAN, C. WASHINGTON EVES, C.M.G., H. J. JOURDAIN, C.M.G., F. H. DANGAR, W. KESWICK, J. P. G. WILLIAMSON, JAS. COCHRAN, S. WARBURTON, W. STANFORD, T. MACKENZIE, E. CHAPMAN, G. WOOD, G. L. HOUSTOUN, GEORGE SLADE, ROBERT TENNANT, H. B. HALSWELL, J. W. FEARNSIDES, T. G. SWEET, S. EDWARDS, C. C. SKARRATT, H. G. SLADE, C. K. DIGBY-JONES, D. S. GALBRAITH, W. J. GARNETT, COMMANDER E. P. BEdwell, the VEN. ARCHDEACON COLLEY, MESSRS. E. SALMON, J. R. BAILLIE, H. CHAPLIN, H. M. PAUL, CAPT. W. P. ROCHE, MR. J. S. O’HALLORAN, C.M.G. (SECRETARY).

The Secretary read the notice convening the meeting.

The Chairman nominated Mr. S. Vaughan Morgan (on behalf of the Council), and Mr. H. B. Halswell (on behalf of the Fellows), as Scrutineers to take the ballot for the Council under Rule 62, and announced that the ballot would remain open for half an hour.

The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting were read and confirmed.

The Annual Report of the Council, 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-ninth Annual Report.

During the past year 100 Resident and 255 Non-Resident Fellows have been elected, or a total of 355, as compared with 80 Resident and 213 Non-Resident, or a total of 293, during the preceding year. On December 31, 1896, the list included 1,367 Resident, 2,552 Non-Resident, and 10 Honorary Fellows, or 3,929 in all-the highest number ever attained-of whom 925 have compounded for the Annual Subscription, and qualified as Life Fellows. lt will be seen on reference to the Honorary Treasurer's Statement of Accounts that the annual receipts exceed those of any previous year with two exceptions, and that the balance of assets over liabilities has been substantially increased. The loan of

£35,020, which was raised in 1886 in order that the freehold of the Institute might be acquired, stood at £20,834 15s. Od. at the close of 1896, no less than £14,185 5s. Od. having been paid off during the intervening period.

The following statement shows the gradual expansion of the Institute, both as regards the number of Fellows and annual income, since its foundation in 1868:

The obituary of the past year comprises the names of 75 Fellows, including a Vice-President, the Right Hon. Hugh C. E. Childers, F.R.S.

James Alexander (New Zealand), William Archer (Queensland), Sir George Baillie, Bart. (Victoria), Sir Colville A. D. Barclay, Bart.. C.M.G. (late of Mauritius), Henry S. Bascom (Gambia), Thomas Bell, Frank L. Bolger (Victoria), Thomas H. Bowen (South Australia), Henry D. Bray (New South Wales). James Brister (Cape Colony), Frederick J. Broderick (Cape Colony), Sir F. Napier Broome, K.C.M.G. (Governor of Trinidad), Maurice Burtt (Gold Coast Colony), Hon. Thomas Cadell, M.L.C. (New South Wales), Hon. William Campbell (late of Victoria), W. R. H. Carew (late of Straits Settle.

ments), Ven. Archdeacon H. T. S. Castell (British Guiana), The Rt. Hon. Hugh C. E. Childers, F.R.S. (a Vice-President), Roger F. Court (Transvaal), George Crawshay, Peter Cunningham (New Zealand), Hon. John J. Dare, M.E.C. (British Guiana), Steuart S. Davis (late of St. Kitts), James Dickson (Victoria), Lt.-Colonel E. R. Drury, C.M.G. (Queensland), Solomon Emanuel (New South Wales), Frederick C. Estill (Mauritius), Hon. James I. Fellows (Agent-General, New Brunswick), Arthur Folkard, Reginald R. Gace (Lagos), Rt. Hon. Sir Julian Goldsmid, Bart., M.P., Hon. C. A. Goodchap, M.L.C. (New South Wales), Surgeon Lt.-Colonel V. S. Gouldsbury, C.M.G. (Administrator of St. Lucia), James H. Greathead, M.Inst.C.E., J. C. Haarhoff (Transvaal), Rev. A. Styleman Herring, M.A., William Hoad, M.B. (Straits Settlements), Edward D. Hodgson (Queensland), The Hon. Arthur G. Hubbard, William M. Huggins (Sierra Leone), B. T. Knights (Transvaal), Capt. Francis A. Lamb (Gold Coast Colony), Capt. Henry B. Lang, R.N., Donald Larnach (late of New South Wales), William R. Macpherson (Jamaica), Hon. William E. Marmion, M.L.A. (Western Australia), Baron Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. (Government Botanist, Victoria), James Murphy (Victoria), D. P. Nathan (Jamaica), Philip H. Nind (British Guiana), E. D. S. Ogilvie (New South Wales), James Orkney (Victoria), Major E. Roderic Owen (Lancashire Fusiliers), Caleb Peacock (South Australia), Sir John Pender, G.C.M.G., Hon. Robert Pharazyn, M.L.C. (New Zealand), George Reid (late of Cape Colony), Alexander W. Robertson (Victoria), Hon. J. Beverley Robinson (Canada), M. B. Rochfort (British Guiana), H. Q. St. George (Canada), Charles S. Salmon, William Savage (Cape Colony), Hon. Sir John C. Schultz, K.C.M.G., M.D. (Canada), George P. Slade (late of New South Wales), Hon. George Stiebel, C.M.G. (Jamaica), Henry S. Tiffin, (New Zealand), Hon. Sir Leonard Tilley, K.C.M.G., C.B. (Canada), Alexander Turnbull (late of Jamaica), Lt.-Colonel G. Napier Turner (Victoria), Sir George Verdon, K.C.M.G., C.B. (Victoria), Henry L. Wight (British Guiana), John Young (Victoria), Carel F. Ziervogel (Transvaal), Josua Zweifel (West Africa).

Vacancies on the Council, occasioned by the resignation of Sir Charles Tupper, Bart., G.C.M.G., C.B., and Sir Francis Villeneuve Smith, have been filled up under the provisions of Rule 6, by the appointment ad interim, subject to confirmation by the Fellows, of Sir William C. F. Robinson, G.C.M.G., and Sir Donald A. Smith, G.C.M.G. The following retire in conformity with Rule 7, and are eligible for re-election :-Vice-Presidents: The Duke of Devonshire, K.G., Lord Carlingford, K.P., Sir Henry Barkly, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., Sir Henry E. G. Bulwer, G.C.M.G., and General Sir H. C. B. Daubeney, G.C.B. Councillors :-Lieut.General Sir J. Bevan Edwards, K.C.M.G., C.B., M.P., MajorGeneral Sir Henry Green, K.C.S.I., C.B., Sir Arthur Hodgson, K.C.M.G., Messrs. F. H. Dangar, Henry J. Jourdain, C.M.G., and George S. Mackenzie.

A Banquet to celebrate the Twenty-eighth Anniversary of the foundation of the Institute took place at the Whitehall Rooms on April 24, the Marquis of Lorne, K.T., G.C.M.G., M.P., presiding, when there was a large and representative gathering, and importantspeeches were made. The next anniversary will be celebrated on

March 31, and the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., Secretary of State for the Colonies, has consented to preside.

The Annual Conversazione was held at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, on June 24, by the kind permission of the Trustees of the British Museum, and was attended by about 2,000 persons.

The following Papers have been read and discussed since the date of the last Annual Report:

Ordinary Meetings:

"National Defence."

Clarke, R.E., K.C.M.G.

Lieut.-Colonel Sir George S.

"The Development of Tropical Africa." Sir George Baden-Powell, K.C.M.G., M.P.

"One Hundred Years of British Rule in Ceylon." L. B. Clarence (late a Judge of the Ceylon Supreme Court). "The Fortunate Isles: Picturesque New Zealand." The Hon. W. P. Reeves (Agent-General for New Zealand). "Canada and Ocean Highways." Sandford Fleming,

C.M.G.

"Inter-British Trade." John Lowles, M.P.

"England's Work in Central Africa." Sir Harry H. Johnston, K.C.B.

66

The Administration of Justice in South Africa." Sir Sidney Shippard, K.C.M.G.

Special Meetings:

"Natal." J. G. Maydon, M.L.A.

"British Rule in Malaya." F. A. Swettenham, C.M.G. Afternoon Meetings:

"Geological Notes on the Coolgardie Gold Fields." Dr. Charles Chewings, F.G.S.

"Our Colonial Food Supplies." Arthur Clayden.

"The Colony of Victoria: Some of its Industries." E. Jerome Dyer.

"The Colonial Producer." E. Burney Young.

The Library continues to occupy special attention, and contains many works of great value and extreme rarity. The donations surpass in number those of any previous year, mainly through the liberality of authors and others, who in response to applications for copies of their works have readily complied, and so assisted in making the Library the most complete in existence as regards Colonial literature, both official and general. Several of the donations are of very