PROCEEDINGS.

SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 17, 1907, IN ELLIS HALL, AT THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BUILDING, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

The meeting was called to order at 10.30 A. M. by the first Vice President, Hon. SAMUEL A. GREEN.

The following members were present:

Nathaniel Paine, Samuel A. Green, Edward L. Davis, James F. Hunnewell, Edward H. Hall, Charles C. Smith, Edmund M. Barton, Franklin B. Dexter, Charles A. Chase, Samuel S. Green, Andrew McF. Davis, Daniel Merriman, William B. Weeden, Reuben Colton, Henry H. Edes, A. George Bullock, William E. Foster, Charles P. Greenough, Francis H. Dewey, Calvin Stebbins, Henry A. Marsh, James L. Whitney, William T. Forbes, George H. Haynes, Waldo Lincoln, John Noble, George P. Winship, A. Lawrence Rotch, Samuel Utley, E. Harlow Russell, Benjamin T. Hill, George L. Kittredge, Albert Matthews, William MacDonald, Roger B. Merriman, Victor H. Paltsits, Deloraine P. Corey, Clarence S. Brigham, Frederick L. Gay, Franklin P. Rice.

The reading of the records of the last meeting was on motion dispensed with, the printed report of the proceedings having been already distributed among the members of the Society. The report of the Council which was prepared by FRANKLIN B. DEXTER and SAMUEL UTLEY was then submitted. In behalf of Mr. Utley who prepared the business report, Mr. Dexter read that portion of the report relating exclusively to the business of the Society.

The Recording Secretary, in behalf of the Council, reported that the Committee heretofore appointed to investigate and report on the publication of the British Royal Proclamations had submitted their report to the Council, recommending that power be given them to proceed with the publication of the Proclamations, and asking authority to charge the expense of the publication to the Publishing Fund. The Council, having approved of this course of action, recommended that power be granted the Committee to carry it out as suggested.

On motion it was so ordered.

The Recording Secretary read the list of nominations for membership in the Society, submitted by the Council as follows:

For resident membership:

Caleb Benjamin Tillinghast, Litt. D., Boston, Mass.
Worthington Chauncey Ford, Washington, D. C.

For foreign membership:

Genaro Garcia, Mexico.

On ballot these gentlemen were duly elected.

The Recording Secretary, in behalf of the Council, presented a printed set of by-laws, which had been approved by the Council with a recommendation that they be adopted by the Society-and he thereupon moved their adoption.

Mr. CHARLES A. CHASE, in behalf of the Committee which prepared the by-laws, explained the changes which had been made from the existing by-laws of the Society and called attention to the additions proposed by the Committee.

A discussion then ensued mainly directed to the phraseology of one or two of the paragraphs, which was participated in by Messrs. William T. Forbes, Samuel S. Green, Waldo

Lincoln, Edward L. Davis, Andrew McF. Davis and William MacDonald.

The By-Laws with such changes as were agreed upon, were then adopted.1

FRANKLIN B. DEXTER, Litt. D., then read the portion of the Council Report exclusively prepared by himself. It was a paper entitled, "Early Libraries in New England."

GEORGE L. KITTREDGE, LL.D. then communicated, "Some Notes on Witchcraft.'

Mr. VICTOR HUGO PALTSITS then read a paper the title of which was "Almanacs of Roger Sherman, 1750 to 1761."

Mr. ABBOTT LAWRENCE ROTCH read a paper entitled "Benjamin Franklin and the first balloons."

Vice-President Lincoln, in behalf of J. FRANKLIN JAMESON, LL. D., presented by title the paper, "Notes on the English Admiralty Papers."

The foregoing papers were referred to the Committee of Publication.

The meeting was then dissolved.

ANDREW MCF. DAVIS,

Recording Secretary.

Many of the members present then proceeded to the University Club where they lunched together.

1 The By-Laws have been separately printed for the use of the members.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

In compliance with the By-laws of the Society, the Council reports that the affairs of the Society are all in good order under the charge of the officers recently elected and the committees appointed as before reported, who have all taken hold with zeal and discretion.

The plan referred to in the last report of the Council, which was approved by the Society, of having the manuscripts owned by the Society indexed, has been perfected by the library committee, and Mr. Charles H. Lincoln of the manuscript division of the Congressional Library has been employed tentatively to begin the work at $125.00 per month, the estimated time being about one year, and the Council have appropriated fifteen hundred dollars for the purpose. No obligation has been assumed to pursue the work any longer than the Council deems advisable. Of course there will be some small incidental expenses. The great need and desirability of the work are too obvious to require a detailed statement.

The library committee has also found that some of the pictures are in danger of destruction and measures have been taken to put them all in good order.

The Society have a number of articles of furniture which are of value for their historic associations as well as for their great beauty. It is planned to repair them all gradually and mark them so that their history will not be lost. Probably few members fully appreciate what great attractions are concealed beneath the dingy exterior of many of these articles.

The library committee has revised and reduced the number of newspapers to be bound and preserved by the Society. Newspapers are so numerous that nothing complete can be done by us, and little confidence is felt in the durability of such paper as is now used, so that it seems best to limit very much the number bound. They are costly, bulky, and require large and expensive cases to properly preserve them.

About 4000 books have been received from the estate of our late President Salisbury, and the library committee is having them carefully examined to see how far they are duplicates or outside the class which it is desirable for us to keep. In view of our limited accommodations, it is probable that in the future the line will be more sharply drawn as to additions to the library and perhaps it may even be well to dispose of some books already in the library, as not germane to the purposes of the Society.

Mr. Paine has been treasurer of the Society for 44 years and feels that he would like some assistance in the performance of his duties. Colonel Bullock has kindly consented to render this aid, and at the suggestion of Mr. Paine, the Council has appointed him assistant treasurer, acting under the bylaw which authorizes it to appoint subordinate officers. The proposed new rules give this authority in express terms.

The committee appointed at the annual meeting of the Society to examine the suggestion made by Professor Jameson, as to the desirability of the publication, by the Society, of the British Royal Proclamations relating to America, have asked for and received from the Council an appropriation of $100.00, to cover the expenses of collecting the necessary information, and as directed in your vote, have reported to the Council, which has approved of the plan, and recommends that the committee be authorized to proceed and publish the proclamations, the expense to be charged to the publishing fund. The Council, having authority to expend income only, asks you to authorize this expenditure.