Conclusion. 16. All must feel thankful for the Institute's progress hitherto. Its high objects and the manner in which these are sought to be carried out, have earned it the support of numbers in every part of the world, and, in the United States, have resulted in an offshoot being founded. But it has become necessary that such a Society, with so widely-spread a constituency, should be stronger in numbers, both at home and abroad. Were each Member and Associate to seek to add to the number of its adherents in his own locality, not only would the Institute's power for usefulness be increased, but the extent of that usefulness would be more widely felt. No higher incentive could be found to impel to so needed a work, than that expressed in the words of its Motto. TWENTIETH ANNUAL BALANCE-SHEET, from 1st January to 31st December, 1885. Dividends on £1,302. 18s. 9d. New 3 p. c. Ann. Donations to Special Fund Sale of Journals, &c. ... 1,073 2 0 37 17 4 102 3 7 Postage and Parcels (Home and Foreign) Expenses of Meetings Rent to Christmas, 1885 Housekeeper Travelling Expenses Gas and Oil Insurance ... : Sundry Office Expenses Bankers' Charges Balance Cr. ... ... ... : £1,388 6 11 We have examined the Balance-Sheet with the Books and Vouchers, and find a Balance in hand of £13. 13s. 8d. } Auditors. W. N. WEST, Hon. Treas. * For Investment in 1886. [Captain F. PETRIE (Hon. Sec.), having read several letters from distinguished members who were unable to be present, briefly read the report, proof copies of which were in the hands of those present, and referred to the large correspondence which reached the Institute from every quarter of the globe, showing a wide and lively interest in the work of the Society, and the great importance of its being as widely and as largely supported as possible.] The Very Reverend the Dean of LICHFIELD, in rising to move, "That the Report be received and the thanks of the Members and Associates be presented to the Council, Honorary Officers, and Auditors for their efficient conduct of the business of the Victoria Institute during the year," said :---Mr. Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen, I have found myself somewhat unexpectedly in the position of being called on to move the adoption of the Report just read by the Honorary Secretary. I am sure that every one who has heard the Report must be quite convinced that the Officers of this Society have discharged their duties with great advantage to the cause which this Institute was designed to promote. I assume that the great object which the Victoria Institute has at heart is the advance of truth upon the lines indicated in the Report; and I think that, in looking back over the last twenty years, we may truly say that this Institute has not been founded in vain. What I conceive to be specially wanted at the present day is, information of a really solid character. I am convinced that a vast deal of the ignorance and infidelity among us is due to a want of proper knowledge on the subjects taken up by this Institute; and those who have studied these questions to any extent, as I myself have done, so far as my other duties would permit, must, I think, feel, as I most assuredly do, that there cannot be any possible inconsistency between the discoveries of science and the revelation of God. If there be any such inconsistency, it is simply owing to the imperfection of the human faculty; and it is the business of this Institute to try and improve the human faculty by aiding in the circulation of really sound knowledge on those questions which concern the hopes and destinies of mankind, not only in this world, but in the world to come. I may here refer to the fact that we have sustained a serious loss during the past year in the death of a very eminent man. I allude to the late President of this Society, the Earl of Shaftesbury. I believe that from one end of this kingdom-I might almost say from one end of this empire-to the other, but certainly throughout our own country, the name of Lord Shaftesbury will ever be held in reverence, respect, and affection by all who have had the pleasure of knowing him, and who were acquainted with his many sterling qualities. I cannot do otherwise than cordially congratulate the Institute on the accession to the Office vacated by Lord Shaftesbury of so eminent a man as Professor Stokes. I am perfectly sure that the election of Professor Stokes to that distinguished position will be a source of great advantage to the Institute, and will help it in every way. We, who have the honour of belonging to the University of Cambridge, know what Professor Stokes is, as a philosopher and a Christian, and may express our gratitude to him at finding that, in addition to the laborious duties which devolve upon him in connexion with that University, he has been so kind as to accept the position of President of this Institute. I heartily concur in the vote of thanks which this Resolution proposes to accord to all the members of the Council and the Officers of the Institute for their efficient and conscientious discharge of the duties imposed upon them, and I now have pleasure in presenting the Resolution for your acceptance. Mr. GIBBS CRAWFURD HARRISON.—I have great pleasure in seconding the resolution, and in doing so I beg most heartily to endorse everything that has fallen from the very Rev. the Dean of Lichfield. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Mr. D. HOWARD (V.-Pres. Chem. Soc.).—On behalf of the Council I beg to return their hearty thanks for the resolution you have just voted in recognition of their efforts in carrying out the objects of this Institute. I can only say it has been a labour of love to the members of the Council, some of whom have worked very assiduously, and, having done their best, they now feel that they are entitled to ask for thanks of a more substantial kind than the resolution just passed, in the shape of the help which all of you, more or less, can give to such a Society. There are a great many people who say in their heart of hearts, "Why don't you leave things alone? why not let religion and science each go their own way?" We know by the best of all means—experience-that there is no contradiction between faith and science to those whose minds are attuned aright in the honest desire to get at the truth, and who are not endeavouring to find out differences where none exist—who, in fact, do not regard science as a useful weapon to fight with against religion, or, on the other hand, look upon science as the clumsy weapon we find it in unpractised hands for the defence of religion. I do not mean to say it would not be better if we could leave religion and science to themselves, but, unfortunately, there are many who understand so little of either, and who are so willing to be perpetually trying to find' differences where they do not exist, that it is necessary to carefully and watchfully defend the truth, whether it be that of the revelation of God in His works or in His Word. It is easy to make mistakes in the attempt to do this, and I consequently appeal to all of you to give the Council of this Institute your help in the various forms that help is able to assume, whether it be by the contribution of papers for discussion at our meetings, or by taking office in the Council and working as one of its members, or, in other ways, generally promoting the objects of the society. All who care for the truth as a whole should assist by joining with those who are endeavouring to maintain the unity of Truth. Of course, the whole tendency of modern thought is rather against this. Science is so wide, that those who have to work are severally content to dig a small allotment in some corner of the great field, and even there very often they find they have undertaken too much. There is a danger of thinking one's own thoughts, and allowing at the same time the wider unities to pass by-a danger which affects those who know nothing about science, as well as those who are inclined to a too exclusive study of it. I thank you most heartily for the vote you have just accorded to the Council, and especially for your recognition of the anxious task they have had in finding a President to occupy the place of the late Lord Shaftesbury, and I must also express our thanks to Professor Stokes for concurring in the selection we made. The CHAIRMAN (Sir H. BARKLY, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., F.R.S.).—By the vote just agreed to, the election of Professor Stokes as President of this Institute has been confirmed by the Society, and it therefore becomes my duty to vacate this chair in order that it may be taken by our new President. I think it a great honour to the Society that its presidency should be accepted by so distinguished a man as Professor Stokes, the President of the Royal Society of Great Britain. This is not only an honour to the Victoria Institute, but may also be regarded as a triumph to the divine cause of truth and science throughout the world—a cause which we believe to be one and indissoluble. Professor STOKES (President of the Royal Society) having, amid general applause, taken the chair, said :—Ladies and gentlemen, in taking this chair as President of the Victoria Institute, I cannot but feel how unworthy a successor I am to that great and good nobleman who has been lost to us in the course of the past year. I need say nothing about his virtues, for they were familiar to you all. You know, also, the great interest he took, from the very first, in the prosperity of this Institute. I regret to say that hitherto, although you were so good as to make me an honorary member, I have but seldom attended the meetings of the Council or the anniversaries of the Society; but I hope in future to be able to attend more frequently. At the same time, I should state that I have duties in connexion with the University of Cambridge, and that I also have other duties in London in connexion with the post I occupy in the Royal Society. The statutes under which I live make it necessary for me to reside, to a considerable extent, at Cambridge, as I have duties to perform in relation to the professorship I there hold; nevertheless, I hope from time to time-I trust I may say not very infrequently—to be among you, so that I may endeavour to carry out, to the best of my ability, the objects for which this Institute has been founded. If experience should show that I cannot properly discharge the duties of the post in consequence of my other engagements, and I should be led to request you to appoint some one who has more leisure to be your President, I hope you will not consider that that is out of any want of respect on my part towards this Institute. I sympathise very strongly with the ends it has in view, for I believe that truth from one quarter will not contradict truth from another. I can sympathise with those who have at heart those truths which the human mind alone could not have found out for itself, and in which we believe our whole race is deeply concerned, and I also sympathise with those who eagerly pursue science in a truth-loving spirit, as I believe pretty nearly the whole of the workers in science do. Therefore, I think I can truly say that I am in sympathy with the main objects which I understand it to be the desire of this Institute to promote, by affording, as the Dean of Lichfield has said, fuller information that may enable us to remove the apparent discrepancies between the two great |