to check any that might be proposed by
others.

With these ingredients, added to the regular train of the party, and a
star or two of science to shed lustre over the whole, a very manageable
Council might be formed; and such has been its frequent composition.

The duties of the Secretaries, when well executed, are laborious,
although not in this respect equal to those of the same officers who, in
several societies, give their gratuitous aid; and their labours are much
lightened by the Assistant Secretary and his clerk. The following are
their salaries:--

The Senior Secretary ........... 105L.
The Junior Secretary, 105L........ )
5L. for making Indexto Phil. Trans... ) 110L.
The Foreign Secretary........... 20L.

Now it is not customary to change these annually; and as these offices
are amongst the "loaves and fishes" they are generally given by the
President to some staunch supporters of the system. They have frequently
been bestowed, with very little consideration for the interest, or even
for the dignity of the Society. To notice only one instance: the late
Sir Joseph Banks appointed a gentleman who remained for years in
that situation, although he was confessedly ignorant of every subject
connected with the pursuits of the Society. I will, however, do justice
to his memory, by saying that his respectability was preserved
under such circumstances, by the most candid admission of the fact,
accompanied by a store of other knowledge unfortunately quite foreign to
the pursuits of the Society; and I will add, that I regretted to see him
insulted by one President in a situation improperly given to him by a
former.

Next in order come the Vice-Presidents, who are appointed by the
President; and in this respect the present practice is not inconvenient.

The case, however, is widely different with the office of Treasurer. The
President ought not to usurp the power of his appointment, which ought,
after serious discussion by the Council, to be made by the Society at
large.

Besides the three Secretaries, there is an Assistant Secretary,
and recently another has been added, who may perhaps be called a,
Sub-assistant Secretary. All these places furnish patronage to the
President.

Let us now look at the occasional patronage of the President, arising
from offices not belonging to the Society. He is, EX OFFICIO, a Trustee
of the British Museum; and it may seem harsh to maintain that he is not
a