deavours in the interests of the Institution, for his unremitting attention to the duties of his office, and for the urbanity he has at all times displayed in the Chair. Mr. Stephenson, President, returned thanks. Resolved,―That the thanks of the Institution are due, and are presented to Messrs. William Henry Barry and R. Price Williams, for the comprehensive statement of Receipts and Payments they have prepared; and that Messrs. R. Price Williams and Alfred Rumball be requested to act as Auditors for the ensuing year. Mr. Price Williams returned thanks. Resolved, That the cordial thanks of the Institution be tendered to Mr. Charles Manby, the Honorary Secretary, and to Mr. James Forrest, the Secretary, for their long and valued services to the Institution. Mr. Forrest returned thanks. The Ballot having been open more than an hour, the Scrutineers, after examining the papers, announced that the following gentlemen were duly elected : : President. JOHN FREDERIC BATEMAN, F.R.S. James Abernethy. Vice-Presidents. William Henry Barlow, F.R.S. Sir W. G. Armstrong, C.B., F.R.S. James Brunlees. Maj.-General H. Y. D. Scott, R.E., C.B., F.R.S. Resolved, That the thanks of the Meeting be given to Messrs. Baldry, Frewer, Hollingsworth, Law, May, Smith, Stevenson, Thomson, and Williams, the Scrutineers, for the promptitude and efficiency with which they have performed the duties of their office; and that the Ballot Papers be destroyed. [ANNUAL REPORT. ANNUAL REPORT. SESSION 1877-78. THE Council, on retiring from office, beg leave to lay before the members a report of the proceedings of the past year, and of the present state of the Corporation. They do so with satisfaction, as the continued prosperity of the Institution testifies that the care bestowed upon it has not been in vain. In one of the earliest Annual Reports, the belief was expressed that the time was fast approaching when a general conviction of the advantage which must result from the periodical meetings of members of the same profession would induce all engineers to unite in advancing the objects of the original projectors. The history of the Society is a gradual realisation of that prospect, and affords abundant evidence of the benefits derived from the association, in one body, of men pursuing different branches of engineering, or connected with engineering operations and pursuits. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIETY. In the Annual Report for 1874 it was remarked that many young professional men, not yet qualified under the Rules for the rank of Member, thought it a hardship to be classified as Associates, a name which did not imply full fellowship, and a class which was composed of persons "not necessarily Engineers." In the subsequent Report for 1875, the Council arrived at the conclusion that it was desirable to create a new class, to distinguish between those engaged in the practice of the profession, as defined in the Charter, and those not so engaged. In the Report for 1876 a scheme was submitted to the Annual Meeting for carrying this plan into effect. The proposal was to establish a new class intermediate between that of Members and that of Associates, and the title Associate-Member was suggested to designate the persons composing it. The members present at that meeting, while otherwise adopting the Report recommending the new class, desired that the title should be left open for future decision. A circular was thereupon addressed to all the Members and Associates, in order to obtain the opinion of the majority on the subject. About 1,900 copies of this circular were issued, and replies were received from 334 Members and 564 Associates. Of these replies, 418 were in favour of the title "Associate-Member," 182 of "Junior Member," 52 of "Graduate Member," and 66 of "Engineer Associate❞— these were the four titles specially mentioned in the circular— while 70 recommended that the designations of the three classes should be Fellow, Member, and Associate respectively; 19 that the simple term Graduate should be adopted for the new class, and the remaining 91 embraced several other propositions. Before, however, the Council could proceed to further action a requisition, signed by 20 Members and 23 Associates, was received, by which it became necessary to summon a Special General Meeting1 of Members and Associates "to consider the question of the creation of the new class proposed by the Council.” The meeting was held on Wednesday, the 25th of April, when it was stated the Council recommended that the members of the new class, by whatever name they might be called, should enjoy all the corporate rights of Members-on which point there had been a reservation in the Annual Report. After considerable discussion a Resolution was passed at the meeting as follows: : "That in the opinion of this meeting it is not desirable at present to create any new class of member; but it is desirable that those Associates who are qualified to be Members should take the requisite steps for their transfer." The Council have therefore continued to act under the existing Bye-laws; and as a result of that meeting, have had under consideration a greater number of proposals for transfer than usual, and have since that meeting had the satisfaction to transfer 58 Associates to the class of Members. Of this number 43 have been effected during the current session. Thus the main question, to which attention has been so frequently called, the separation of the professional from the non-professional Associates, remains unsettled; and it will in the opinion of this Council be a constant source of embarrassment to their successors in office, until it receives a satisfactory solution. Under these circumstances, the Council, in the interest of the general body, have come to the conclusion to suggest to the Annual Meeting that in future the Institution shall consist of four 1 As the minutes of this meeting have already appeared in the Proceedings, vol. 1., p. 59, it is not deemed necessary to repeat them in extenso. classes, namely, Senior Members or Fellows, Members (both classes of Members to enjoy equal corporate rights), Associates, and Honorary Members, and that there shall be a class of Students attached. ELECTIONS AND TRANSFERS. During the past session 2 Honorary Members, 46 Members, and 169 Associates have been elected. The two Honorary Members were their Majesties the King of Portugal and the King of the Belgians. Both have expressed gratification at receiving this mark of distinction, and both have recorded their thanks for the appreciation thus evinced of their endeavours to encourage the progress of Practical Science. The number of Members elected has been greater than in the preceding year, besides which 40 Associates have been transferred to that class. The losses from death and other causes among the Members have been 25, and among the Associates 41, so that there has been an effective increase of 61 Members and 88 Associates. The numbers in each class on the 30th of November, 1877, were:-Honorary Members, 16, Members, 925, and Associates, 1,670, together, 2,611, as against 2,460 at the date of the previous Report.1 1 The tabular statement for the years 1875-76 and 1876-77, of the transfers, elections, deceases, resignations, and erasures of the members of all classes belonging to the Institution, that is, exclusive of the Students, is as follows: The following deaths were announced during the past year, the bracketed figures after some of the names referring to the volume of "Proceedings" in which memoirs have already been printed : MEMBERS: Joseph Armstrong (xlix., 255), Thomas William Armstrong, William Alexander Brooks (1., 172), Arrott Browning, Charles Edward Cawley, M.P. (1., 175), William Welham Clarke Edward Dixon, William Thomas Doyne, Osborne Cadwallader Edwards (xlviii., 266), John England, jun., George Giles (1., 177), William Hanson, Robert Hodgson (1., 178), William Johnstone (xlix., 251), Frederick William Kitson, Christopher Bagot Lane (xlviii., 266), Charles Benjamin Le Mesurier, Thomas Page (xlix., 262), Charles Tarrant, Frederick Thomas Turner (1., 181), Edward Wilson, and Henry Winteringham (1., 184). ASSOCIATES: Edwin Barton (xlix., 265), James Battersby (1., 185), William Beardmore, Thomas Talbot Bury (xlviii., 269), Henry William Churchward, Ardaseer Cursetjee Wadya, F.R.S., Francis Stacker Dutton, C.M.G. (xlix., 268), Joseph Fisher, jun. (1., 186), David Forbes (xlix., 270), Robert Wood Everett Green (xlviii., 270), Samuel Hocking, Frederick Hardwicke Johnson, Elias William Jones (1., 186), Admiral Sir Stephen Lushington (xlix., 275), James Smith Okell (xlix., 276), the Earl of Orkney (1., 187), Alexander Rhodes (1., 187), Thomas Tenison Ryan (xlviii., 272), Edward Pease Smith, George Albert Twynam, and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt (xlix., 277). The resignations have been accepted of two Members, Richard Spelman Culley and William Henry Purdon; and of fifteen Associates-John Aiton, Edward Bagot, Edward Pearce Brown, George Osbaldeston Budd, Admiral George Evans, William Hay Fea, James Robert France, James Howard, Lieut.-Col. Perceval Robert Innes, Alfred Chalmers Lawford, William Naylor, John Sampson Peirce, Robert Sabine, William Thomas Walker, and Edward Orange Wildman Whitehouse. ADMISSION OF STUDENTS. The completion of the first decade of the existence of the Student class attached to the Institution affords a convenient opportunity for reviewing the progress made since its foundation. It is with great satisfaction that the Council are enabled to refer to its steady and increasing popularity, as justifying the principles which were originally laid down for its regulation and management, and which have been found to work so well that the experience of ten years has not rendered necessary any modifications. The |