of Providence, Rhode Island, as the nominee for the office of President. (Applause.)

For Vice-Presidents--Emerson McMillin, Columbus, Ohio; John P. Harbison, Hartford, Conn.; William Henry White, New York.

For Secretary and Treasurer--C. J. R. Humphreys, Lawrence, Mass.

By the amended Constitution we were directed to bring in the names of eight active members as nominees for the Council. As four members of the Council are to retire annually, it will be necessary to elect at this meeting four members for the term of two years, and four others for one year. We therefore give you for the long term the names of-

For Two Years.

W. H. Pearson, Toronto, Canada; Chas. W. Blodget, Brooklyn, N. Y.; G. G. Ramsdell, Vincennes, Ind.; A. E. Boardman, Macon, Ga.

For One Year.

Matt. Cartwright, Rochester, N. Y.; Thomas Curley, Wilmington, Del.; B. E. Chollar, Topeka, Kansas; Wm. H. Baxter, Petersburgh, Va.

MR. STINESS--I move that the Chair appoint a committee of one to cast a ballot of the Association for the election of the nominees.

The motion prevailed; the President appointed A. C. Humphreys as such committee. The ballot was cast accordingly, and the nominees were declared duly elected officers of the Association for the ensuing year.

The President appointed Mr. White and Mr. Harbison a committee to present the newly elected President.

MR. WHITE-Mr. President, I have pleasure in presenting to you Mr. A. B. Slater, the President-elect of this Association.

THE PRESIDENT-Gentlemen, I take great pleasure in presenting to you Mr. Alpheus B. Slater, of Providence, R. I., as your President for the ensuing year.

MR. SLATER-Gentlemen of the Association, for the distinguished honor you have conferred upon me in electing me to

this office you have my grateful appreciation. Remembering whom my predecessors have been, I can but have a realizing sense of what you have a right to expect from me. It is fortunate, perhaps, that the success of this Association does not depend upon the President alone, but upon the united efforts of individual members. I class myself with the workers rather than with the talkers; and whatever I can do to promote the interests and welfare of the Association I shall endeavor to do to the best of my ability. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT-Is the Committee on applications for membership ready to make a report ?

Mr. Ramsdell—The Committee beg leave to report as follows: We find, because of the adoption of the new Constitution, there is some conflict in the election of associate members, and we ask for instructions from the Association as to our duties. According to the new Constitution which has been adopted, it will be necessary that applications for membership be received ten days before being acted upon. It says:

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Application for Active Membership, or for Associate Membership, or for transfer from Associate to Active Membership, must be received by the Secretary at least ten days prior to the meeting at which the application is acted on."

MR. STINESS—As we have just adopted a new Constitution I hope that we shall live up to it. I take a little pride to-day, as being one of the movers in the matter of the forming of a new Constitution for this Association. The new Constitution may prove in course of time to have defects; but as it is, let us stand by it. The thought that actuated me in my efforts to secure amendments to the old Constitution, was that in an Association of this character there should not be the hasty action which was taken at the Philadelphia meeting in making members of this Association-not, as you well know, that I had the least objection to any one of them; but I did object to the rushing of the names through in the way it was done there, and without the consideration which is due to the Association, and to that class of membership. As we have adopted a new Constitution, I for one do most earnestly hope that its provisions will be strictly adhered to. I hope no amendments to it will be offered before

the ink is hardly dry upon the document.

I do hope that we

will conform to the Constitution, to-day and hereafter.

MR. WHITE —I move that the matter be referred again to the Committee, with instructions to report these names for ballot. I make that motion for this reason. When that constitution was presented in the Executive Committee night before last, and discussed, its wearing upon this very subject was one of the topics of discussion; and it was unanimously agreed there that it should have no effect upon gentlemen who are present at this time and soliciting membership here. That after the adoption of this Constitution, at subsequent meetings members should be divided into the new classes of active and associate members; but that anybody present at this meeting, coming here under the old Constitution, and coming here with the expectation of joining this Association, should not be debarred from that privilege. It will be a great mistake to enforce that provision of the new Constitution at this meeting. While this Association has the right to adopt this new Constitution, it has no right to pass any ex post facto law of that kind. It is not good judgment. It is not good taste. It is not courteous to those gentlemen who have applied for membership at this meeting. I stated yesterday, in presenting the Constitution, and as the expression of opinion upon the part of your Executive Committee, that the gentlemen who at this meeting presented applications should be treated just the same as at past meetings, except that those gentlemen should be divided into the two new classes. I, therefore, press my motion for the consideration of this body, that these names may be again submitted to your committee, with instructions to the committee to report upon them favorably.

MR. MCMILLIN-I had risen to say about what Captain White has said, and he said it so much better than I could that I am glad he got the floor. It was the understanding of the Executive Committee that the adoption of the new Constitution should not interfere with the presentation of names at this meeting. It was so understood yesterday, I think, when the Constitution was adopted; and it was certainly violated yesterday. We voted in members yesterday, and in that way the Constitution was violated, and the precedent was established. It would be impossible for

gentlemen who came here expecting to be made members to know that they would have to present their names ten days beforehand; and I think it would be decidedly unfair to have them wait for another year. No harm can be done by admitting them now. The Committee will examine the names with the

greatest care. We all know that Mr. Ramsdell always attends to his work very carefully. I am also a member of the Committee, and I sure that no harm can be done by following the precedent established yesterday; whereas great injustice may be done by ignoring the rule as it was understood in the Executive Committee, and it was understood when the Constitution was adopted and as was practiced yesterday after the Constitution was adopted.

MR. HARBISON-I heartily advocate the view taken by Captain White. It was the distinct understanding before the adoption of the Constitution yesterday, and was so distinctly stated in respect to the question bearing upon that particular point, that the new Constitution should not apply to applicants for membership at this meeting. But there it should end. At the adjournment of this meeting the provisions of the new Constitution will come into force; but as to those who applied for membership at this meeting the ten days' provision should not apply, but that they should have the right to come in and be divided among the two classes of members.

MR. CLARK—I would like to inquire under what clause of the Constitution under which we are now acting this Association has any right to appoint a committee to examine the names of applicants. Hereafter such applications will come into the hands of the Council, and without a violation of the Constitution the President cannot appoint a committee, nor can the Association, even by unanimous consent, instruct the committee to return any names. If we open the door to a violation of the provisions of the Constitution we do not know where it will end. If there is any good in the Constitution it should be lived up to to the very letter.

MR. A. C. HUMPHREYS-I think it does not concern this meeting to learn what the agreement was in the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee were privileged to come in

here and make arrangements which would carry out their ideas; if they failed to do so, we have nothing to do with it, so far as I can see. The Constitution has been adopted, and we should be governed by it. If the Executive Committee had brought in a provision making it take effect immediately upon the adjournment of this meeting of the Association, that would have been proper enough; but as they failed to do so, I think that we should carry out the Constitution just as it has been adopted.

MR. HARBISON-I will suggest that it has been strictly adhered to, in that it was verbally stated that the Constitution was to take effect at the close of this meeting.

MR. MCMILLIN-Except as to making the two classes of members.

MR. HARBISON-Yes; that was distinctly stated as one of the provisions—not in the printed Constitution, but verbally. Further, in reply to the suggestion that the Peesident has no right to appoint the committee under the Constitution, I beg leave to differ. A committee was appointed by the President before the new Constitution was adopted. The committee is still in session, and has made a partial report; and now comes in with an additional one.

MR. WHITE, W. H.-In reply to Mr. Humphreys I would say it was very distinctly stated what were the wishes or views of the Executive Committee on this subject, and the Association then showed its appreciation of that fact by adopting unanimously the report of the Executive Committee, and by proceeding immediately to take the very action we now ask for. The Association did elect three or four gentlemen here yesterday, who had not given the ten days' notice required by the new Constitution; and I say it is an outrage upon the gentlemen who have paid out their money to come here with the expectation of being made members of this Association. It is all a farce to talk about this matter as being a precedent which would open the doors hereafter to all applicants. It is a matter which has been thoroughly well discussed here. It is a matter of courtesy that we cannot fail to extend to these gentlemen without stultifying ourselves.

MR. HUMPHREYS, A. C.-I think if the record is searched you