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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62

Proceedings. — Second Ordinary General Meeting

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Proceedings.

Second Ordinary General Meeting.

The Second Ordinary General Meeting of the Session was held at the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Métropole, on Tuesday, December 8, 1891.

Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart., a Vice-President of the Institute, presided.

Amongst those present were the following:—

Mr. Andrews, Captain Wm. Ashby, Mr. J. Astleford, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Atkinson, Sir Henry Barkly, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., Mr. A. R. Bartlett, Mr. B. J. Beadon, Rev. Canon A. Beanlands, Professor T. H. Beare, Mr. Frank Becker, Mr. F. Faithfull Begg, Mr. W. B. Bell, Mr. H. Bergamin, Mr. Thomas Berwick, Mr. and Mrs. C. Bvethell, Mr. G. Binnie, Surg-Major W. G. Bvlack, Mr. F. L. Bolger, Mr. and Mrs. James Bonwick, Mr. Stephen Bourne, Lady Braddon, Mr. S. B. Browning, Mr. J. Brownlie, Mrs. Bruxner, Mr. W. Buchanan, Mr. J. H. Butt, Mr. Alfred E. Campbell, Mr. J. W. Campdell, Mr. H. B. Chamberlin, Liect.-General Sir George Chesney, K.C.B., Lady Chesney, Mr. J. H. Chisholm, Mr. and Mrs. John Clark, Mr. A. H. Clarke, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. B. Clayton, Mr. Frank Cleveland, Mr. John Coleman, Mr. W. Cooper, Miss Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. George Cowie, Mr. J. T. Critchell, Mr. W. S. Cuff, Mr. Charles E. Cullen, Mr. A. J. Cvunningham, Miss Cunningham, Mr. F. H. Dangar, Mr. Wm. Davidson, Mr. T. H. Davies, Mr. F. Debenham, Mr. S. Peering (Acting Agent-Gveneral for South Australia), Mr. Oscar de page 72 Satge, Mr. L. V. Desborough, Mr. C. S. Dicken, C.M.G. (Secretary, Queensland Govt. Office), Mr. J. S. Desmoor, Mrs. Dudley, Lieut.-General Sir Bevan Edwards, K.C.M.G., C.B., Mr. R. Bevan Edwards, Mr. T. Dyer Edwardes, Mrs. H. W. Ely, Mr. P. E. Ely, Mr. and Mrs. J. Ewart, Mr. C. Fairfield, Major-General Fairtlough, Mr. W. H. Farmer, Signor Fontana, Miss Fontana, Sir Malcolm Fraser, K.C.M.G., Lady Fraser, Mr. G. F. Fraser, Dr. Galt, Miss Garnes, Miss A. Geddes, Mr. C. T. Gedye, Mr. D. George, Mr. W. B. George, Capt. A. Gibbons, Mr. W. W. Giblin, Mr. and Mrs. James Gilchrist, Mr. F. Gilmore, Mr. M. J. Godby, Mr. Albert Golden, Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Goodliffe, Mrs. John Gordon, Colonel E. Gorton, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Grant, Miss Grant, Mr. James Gray, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gray, Mr. George Green, Mr. W. S. Sebright Green, Mr. Charles Griffith, Mr. E. Haggard, Mr. James Hamilton, Mr. W. G. Hanbury, Mr. Reginald Hare (Acting Agent-General for Western Australia), Mr. J. K. Hawthorn, Comr. G. P. Heath, R.N., Mrs. Heath, Captain G. N. Hector, R.N.R., Mrs. Hector, Mr. J. Henderson, Mr. Louis C. Henderson, Mr. James Hill, Sir Arthur Hodgson, K.C.M.G., Mr. J. F. Hogan, Mr. G. N. Hooper, Mr. T. Hollis Hopkins, Mr. Sydney Jacobs, Dr. E. M. James, Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Jennings, Mr. Sydney Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kaye, Mr. A. E. Kennaway, Mr. E. Kenaway, Mr. H. Kennaway, Mr. Walter Kennaway, C.M.G. (Secretary, New Zealand Govt. Office), Dr. W. Kenny, Mr. H. A. Krohn, Miss La Coste, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Lane, Mr. W. G. Lardner, Mr. Lavers, Mr. F. Graham Lloyd, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Love, Lieut.-General R. W. Lowry, C.B., Hon. and Rev. A. V. Lyttelton, M.A., Mr. Matthew Macfie, Mr. W. G. Macgregor, Mr. K. J. Mackinnon, Mr. W. K. Mackinnon, Mrs. Macrossan, Mr. Alex. Macrosty, Mr. Alex. Mcarthur, M.P., Mr. W. R. Mccomas, Mr. G. P. Mccourt, Mr. James Mcnaught, Major-General Sir John W. Mcqueen, K.C.B., Mr. J. M. Marshall, Mr. J. R. Marshall, Mr. Jas. Martin, Mr. Thomas Martin, Mr. A. Mattei, Mr. G. M. Maxwell, Rev. J. B. Meharry, Mr. H. Meldrum, Mr. A. C. Meyjes, Dr. W. K. Miley, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mills, Miss Mills, Mr. Robert Milne, Mr. D. Mitchell, Mr. D. Christie Murray, Mr. A. Myers, Mr. Needham, Mr. William Neill, Mr. A. M. and Miss Nicholls, Lieut. A. N. Nicholson, Mr. G. Noel, Mr. James Orr, Mr. J. L. Osborne, Right Hon. Sir Arthur J. Otway, Bart., Mr. Thomas Park, Mr. W. H. Parsons, Mr. J. Payne, Miss Peck, Mr. E. Penton, Mr. W. B. Perceval (Agent-General for New Zealand), Mr. C. P. Plant, Mr. T. G. Pleydell, Mr. D. Powell (Deputy Governor Of The Bank Of England), Mrs. Powell, Mrs. Power, Mr. P. D. Prankerd, Mr. R. T. Pritchett, Mr. Gilbert Purvis, Mr. Arthur Purton, Mr. W. T. H. Radford, Dr. and Mrs. John Rae, Mr. R. Ramsden, Mr. E. T. Randall, Mr. A. S. Rathbone, Mr. James Readmax, Mr. J. Richards Reed, Mr. A. Wood Renton, Mr. Robt. H. Rhodes, Mr. W. E. Cadogan Rothery, Mr. G. W. Rusdrn, Mr. H. S. Samuel, Miss Samuel, Captain-Savage, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Sclanders, Mr. J. Shand, Mr. H. F. Shipster, Mr. H. G. Slade, Sir F. Villeneuve Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Granville Smith, Mr. T.A. Stanley, Mr. T. J. Staley, Mr. R. Steele, Mr. R. A. Sterndale, Professor Anderson Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. John Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Sutherland, Mr. M. J. Swabey, Mr. J. Wemyss Syme, Mr. F. Tallack, Mr. F. W. Tallack, Mr. H. T. Tamplin, Mr. J. V. E. Taylor, Mr. G. A. Tomkinson, Mr. F. Gibson-Thompson, Mr. C. L. Todd, Dr. G. A. and Mrs. Tucker, Colonel Vetch, R.E., Mr. R. B. Vincent, Mr. C. W. Walch, Mr. Want, Mr. Joseph White, Mrs. Henry Whiting, Mr. and Mrs. Noel Whiting (Junr.), Sir James A. Youl, K.C.M.G., Lady Fox Young, Miss Fox Young, Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G., Mr. J. S. O'Halloran (Secretary).

The Minutes of the last Ordinary General Meeting were read and confirmed, and it was announced that since that Meeting 13 Fellows had been elected—viz., 2 Resident and 11 Non-Resident.

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Resident Fellows:—

Thomas J. Hanky, Fred A. E. Muck.

Non-Resident Fellows:—

Rev. Canon Arthur Beanlands (British Columbia), Henry Croft, M.P.P. (British Columbia), J. J. Forster (Seychelles), Charles S. Goldmann (Transvaal), Charles J. Hart (Jamaica), Cluirles Hassard, C.E. (Natal), John B. McKilligan (British Columbia), Dr. James G. Middleton, J. C. Morgan (New South Wales), Frederick J. C. Ross (Straits Settlements), Hugh Sutherland (Canada).

It was also announced that donations to the Library of books, maps, &c., had been received from the various Governments of the Colonies and India, Societies, and public bodies both in the United Kingdom and the Colonies, and from Fellows of the Institute and others.

The following Donations to the Building Fund were announced:—
£ s. d.
Amounts previously announced 5,250 7 9
C. E. Cullen, Esq. (3rd Donation) 5 0 0
Alfred Radford, Esq. (do.) 1 1 0
5,256 8 9

The Chairman: Before calling on Sir Edward Braddon I feel bound to allude to the very painful announcement in this morning's papers of the death of a very old and esteemed member of the Institute, a man who during the greater portion of his life played a very important part in the history of South Australia. As most of the gentlemen present must have had some personal acquaintance with Sir Arthur Blyth, I need not dwell on the loss which the Colonies have sustained by his unexpected demise. He discharged his important duties to the entire satisfaction of those whom he represented, as well as to the authorities here to whom he was accredited, and he was not the least conspicuous among the many able men whom the Colonies have from time to time sent to this country. I am quite sure that much of the harmony and goodwill and loyalty which mark the relations of the Colonies to the Mother Country depend on the tact, moderation, wisdom, and judgment of the Agents-General; and in the interests of the Empire generally I only hope that in the future the Colonies may be equally as well served in the persons of their representatives as they have been hitherto. In adverting to the death of Sir Arthur Blyth, I am reminded of the loss which the Institute sustained some time since by the demise of another most valued and distinguished member, Sir George MacLeay, a man whose career was identified with the Colony of page 74 New South Wales. His name and that of other members of the family were well known in Australia, and I need not tell you how closely they have been associated with its welfare and reputation. I have also to notice with deep regret the recent death of Sir William MacLeay, who was, perhaps, one of the most able and useful, as well as one of the most typical, Colonists who ever landed in Australia. He went to Sydney some fifty years ago, at the age of nineteen years, having a moderate fortune. He devoted himself with great zeal and industry to his vocation as a sheep-farmer, achieved a handsome competency, and ultimately settled in Sydney. Sir William was distinguished for his great knowledge of and skill in natural history, on the pursuit of which he spent large sums; he founded two or three scientific institutions, and lie presented to the University of Sydney one of the most valuable collections of natural history in the southern hemisphere. He has, I believe, left a magnificent endowment for the augmentation and preservation of this collection. I see here my friend Professor Anderson Stuart, and I have no doubt that in the paper he is to read a month hence he will do justice to the munificence and enlightened spirit which animated this gentleman. I only wish that wealthy Colonists would remember the claims the Colonies have on their liberality, and imitate the example of Sir William MacLeay. I must apologise for these somewhat diffuse remarks, but I could not do justice to my feelings without mentioning these two gentlemen—Sir George and Sir William MacLeay, men of the highest culture and great energy of character—who threw themselves into political life with the sole object of promoting, not personal aims, but out of loyalty to the interests of the Colony in which they had spent so large a portion of their lives. I will now call on Sir Edward Braddon to read his paper. We all know—many of us have occasion deeply to regret—the serious crisis which has recently overtaken the Colonies of Australia, including New Zealand. The collapse in the value of property-—the many difficult political complications which have recently arisen in connection with the financial conditions of those countries—have accumulated within a very short space of time, and, from a condition of unexampled prosperity and unbounded hope, there has been a sudden collapse. I may, however, observe that this change in the condition of things in Australia is not peculiar to that part of the world. We know that similar vicissitudes, commercial and political—I speak more especially of the commercial—have occurred over a great part of the civilised world. I dare say many persons now present are sufferers by this page 75 collapse; anil Governments have, of course, shared in the general embarrassment to a certain extent. Well, misfortunes will come. All communities, all States, are more or less subject to these sudden mutations in their fortunes; still, we have manfully to meet difficulties, and with the materials at command to set about the establishment of a more healthy state of things. Those who are truly interested in the Colonies ought not to exaggerate the evils nor to make things worse by decrying, wholesale, institutions and circumstances which really have nothing to do with these changes and these disasters. Everyone who is rightly disposed towards the Colonies will, I say, be willing to put the best construction on the circumstances, and lend a willing hand to bring about the most appropriate remedy. I do not wish to say anything as regards certain criticisms which have been offered in some of the public journals beyond this—that I think some of the writers have been unfortunate in their delineation of the condition of the affairs of Australasia, and I was therefore glad to find that a very able vindicator and apologist for the Colonies had sprung up in the person of our distinguished friend Sir Edward Braddon. It is, I think, quite within the province of this Institute to vindicate, as far as possible, the claims of the Colonies to a fair construction of these conditions and proposals. I do not want any palliation or unfair dealing with existing evils; by all means let them be told in the open day, but do not let us exaggerate them, and do not let us import into the discussion questions of manners and social incidents which have nothing to do with the subject. Let us employ all the energies we can, and all the ability we can bring to bear, to set the Colonies right in the eyes of the British public. The late illustrious Archbishop Tait said that in going through life and in arguing with his fellow-men he always found there was something to be said on the other side. That is an admirable sentiment, and Sir Edward Braddon will, I think, show there is something to be said on the other side on the present occasion.

Sir Edward Braddon: I must put the Chairman right in one particular: I appear before you to-night, not as the apologist of Australia, but as the vindicator.