The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-22 00:00:00

INSTI7UTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.

The annual general meeting of the members of
this society was held on Tuesday evening, the 21st
inst. ; Mr. Charles Hutton Gregory, president, in
the chair. The report of the Council stated that
there were 22 ordinary general meetings during
the past session, when 15 papers had been read.
The discussions at these meetings still continued
to be a prominent feature of the proceedings.
The labour and ingenuity displayed in the original
communications had led to the award of Tel-
ford medals and Telford premiums of books to
Messrs. Jules Gandard, W. Shelford, T. N. Kirk-
ham, J. Ellacott, and D. T. Austed, F.R S. ; of a
Watt Medal an 1 a Telford premium of books to
Mr. Z. Colburn ; of Telford premiums of books to
Messrs. W. II Wheeler, J. It. Mosse, I. Bell, J.
Milroy, S. P. Bidder, jun., and C. J. Chubb; and
of the Manby Premium of Books to Mr. M. lieu-
derson. In addition to the ordinary general
meetings there were six supplemsutal meetings,
for the reading and discussion of p..pers by students
of the institution. For these papers Miner Prizeat
Gad been awarded to the following students :
Messrs. E. Bazelgutte, F. 11. Mort, T. J. Ellie, T.
R. Gainsford, C. H. G. Jenkiuson, and G. H. Ro-
berts. It was stated that during the past year up-
wards of 700 volumes and pamphlets had been
added, either by presentation or by purchase, to the
library, which now contained about 5,800 volumes
and 4,300 tracts, on every branch of civil engineer-
ing, and in many different languages. A portrait
of Mr. Fowler, the late President of the Institution,
painted by Mr. J. E. Millais, R.A., has also been
received, and from Mr. M'Clean, M.P. (t'ast Pre-
sident) 72 engraved copper plates, which had been
used to illustrate an early edition of Smeaton's Re-
port,. During the last session one honorary member,
30 members, and 82 associates had been elected,
while 29 students had been admitted. The numbers
of these several classes on the books on Nov. 30,
1869, were 16, 655, 920, and 148 respectively,
making a total of 1739, as against 847 12 years ago.
The decrease announced since last annual me ing
had been 16 per 1,000, and the resignations and
erisures front the register had been more numerous
than in previous years, so that the increase in the
numbers had been only at the rate of 3.45 per cent.
iu the last twelve months. The ordinary receipts
fit the past year had amounted to £7,032, being
only £l4l less than they were in 1868, notwithstand -
ing the loss of dividends due to the sale of stocks
necessary to meet the outlay upon the new build-
ing. The expenditure in the same period (exclu-
sive of the new building) had been £3,786. There
had been paid on account of the new building and
its accessories a sum of £18,210. This outlay
had been entirely defrayed out of funds of the
iustitwion—viz., £10,246 by the realisation of
investments, £2,210 from the Locke gift and be-
quests (which had been received too recently to be
invested), and the balance of £5,754 from the sur-
plus income of the last two years. The nominal or
par value of the several funds under the charge of
the institution on the 30th of November last was-
1, general funds, £7,656 Is. Bd. ; 2, trust funds,
£12,119155. 82. ; and, 3, cash-balance, £268 95.9 d.,
making a total of £20,04475. id., as against £29,835
18s, two years ago, when they were at their maxi-
mum. This showed a decrease in the interval of
£9,798 10s. lid., but, as previously stated, iu that
period a sum of £18,210 2s. 42. had been paid on
account of the new building. Reference was then
made to the measures which the Council had re-
cently taken to vindicate the honour of the profes-
sion, which had been unjustifiably assailed by the
Government of India in a notification, the plain
intention of which could only be to charge civil
engineers with recognising as legitimate the receipt
of commissions from others than their immediate
employers, and in addition to their salaries, where
so remunerated. The Secretary of State for
India had put on record " that lie regards with
implicit confidence the indignant repudiation
by the institution of the recognition of
I any such inctice as that referred to, and that he
General in Council
would call upon too (govern.,.-- which led
for an explanation of the cfscuenstseces .
to the issue of the notification in question. A an,..
cient time had not yet elered fvr an answer to be
received from India to the remonstrances of the
irritutilan, but in the meantime the council felt
assured that the steps they had taken would meet
with cordial approval. The following gentlemen were
elected to fill the several offices on the council
for the ensuing year :--Charles Blacker Viguoles,
president ; Joseph Cubitt, Thomas Elliot Harrison,
Thomas liawksley, and George Willoughby lle-
mans, vice-presidents ; James Abernethy, William
Henry Barlow, John Frederic Bateman, Joseph
Bazalgette, Nathaniel Beardmore, Frede-
rick Joseph Bramwell, James Brunlees, John Mur-
ray, George Robert Stephenson, and Edward
Woods, members ; and Edward Middelton Barry
aad Lieut.-Col. A. Clarke, , P. 13 R.. associates
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