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TENTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

THE Tenth Annual General Meeting of the Institute took place at the Rooms, 15, Strand, on Friday, June 28th, 1878, at five o'clock.

J. A. YOUL, Esq., C.M.G., occupied the chair until the arrival of His Grace, the DUKE OF MANCHESTER, shortly after the hour of meeting. Among those present were the following:-

Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, K.C.M.G. and C.B.; Sir Charles E. F. Stirling, Bart.; Colonel Alcock; Colonel C. S. Gzowski (Canada); Captain J. C. R. Colomb, R.M.A.; John Balfour, Esq.; Henry Blaine, Esq.; George Bennett, Esq., M.D. (Sydney); A. R. Campbell-Johnston, Esq.; James Farmer, Esq.; H. W. Freeland, Esq.; Rev. John G. H. Hill; Arthur Hall, Esq.; Philip Capel Hanbury, Esq.; Rev. A. Styleman Herring Abraham Hyams, Esq.; J. V. H. Irwin, Esq.; H. J. Jourdain, Esq.; F. P. Labilliere, Esq.; Francis S. S. Merewether, Esq.; Frank E. Metcalfe, Esq.; Jacob Montefiore, Esq.; H. E. Montgomerie, Esq.; G. Molineux, Esq.; J. L. Ohlson, Esq.; Alexander Rogers, Esq.; H. B. T. Strangways, Esq.; J. Duncan Thomson, Esq.; Wm. Westgarth, Esq.; J. Dennistoun Wood, Esq.; James A. Youl, Esq., C.M.G.; Frederick Young, Esq., Hon. Sec.

The HONORARY SECRETARY read the notice convening the meeting, which had been published in two of the daily Papers, and also the Minutes of the Ninth Annual General Meeting, which were confirmed.

Messrs. J. DENNISTOUN WOOD and PHILIP CAPEL HANBURY were duly nominated Scrutineers of the ballot.

The HONORARY SECRETARY read the

ANNUAL REPORT.

In presenting to the Fellows of the Royal Colonial Institute the Report for the present year, the Council cannot forbear calling attention to the interesting fact, that the Institute has now completed the tenth year of its existence. Founded in the year 1868 for the purpose of bringing together all persons connected with the Colonies and India, and of everyone taking an interest in Colonial and Indian affairs, it was the special object of its promoters to endeavour by its means to aid in the diffusion of information, and

in binding together more closely, and preserving more completely, the permanent unity of every part of the British Empire.

The Council look with satisfaction at the gratifying success which has, within the brief period they have been reviewing, thus far attended the zealous and energetic efforts which have been made for the attainment of an object at once so worthy, so noble, and so thoroughly patriotic.

This success is proved by the constantly increasing number of the Fellows who have joined the Institute, and by the interest which is shown in the increasingly large audiences to be found at their Ordinary General Meetings during each succeeding Session. The Council are thus induced to look forward to the future most hopefully, and to anticipate that when another decade in its history shall have elapsed, the Institute will be found to have attained such a hold on the public mind as will show the confidence felt in the thoroughly representative nature of its large-hearted policy—which forbids its assuming any "party" character whatever-and, consequently, of its widespread influence in promoting all the best interests of the whole Empire. The Institute has never been tempted to enter into the sphere of local politics, although many important questions of this character have from time to time excited a considerable amount of interest and attention, even beyond the limits of the particular Colonies in which they have taken place. The objects to which it has always been devoted have been essentially Imperial, and consequently affect, not one particular Colony or group of Colonies only, but the general interests of them all in the aggregate.

In the last Annual Report the Council referred to the various proposals and suggestions they had had under consideration for rendering the Institute more thoroughly efficient as well as attractive to its Fellows. They have still the same desire as ever to effect all these improvements in the establishment itself, especially with regard to a more appropriate building for the Institute; but they must again remind the Fellows that all such changes can only be effected at a largely increased cost, which, considering the state of the finances, they have not felt justified in taking the responsibility of incurring. They, therefore, earnestly appeal to every member of the general body of the Fellows to do all in his power to aid in bringing in as large an accession of new Fellows as possible, in order that the Council may with confidence enter on the consideration of those changes which they are anxious to bring about at the earliest practicable period.

On this occasion the Council have to make an announcement,

which they are sure will be received with the greatest pleasure, as well as with the deepest interest, by all the Fellows. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has graciously consented to accept the office of President of the Institute. The Council consider this step on the part of His Royal Highness as one of the highest importance, not alone as regards the future success of the Royal Colonial Institute, but also as being fraught with the most valuable results in demonstrating the warm sympathy which is felt towards the Colonies and India by His Royal Highness, in thus identifying himself with an Institution expressly founded for the purpose of showing such sympathy, and which is doing all in its power to bind together the whole British nation in the closest ties of friendship, brotherhood, and goodwill.

The Council have the satisfaction of feeling that the acceptance by His Royal Highness of the Office of President will not deprive the Institute of the benefit of the services and lively interest of the Duke of Manchester. As one of its Vice-Presidents and as Chairman of the Council, to which, with his Grace's sanction, it is proposed to elect him, it will still have in future, as hitherto, the advantage of his valuable co-operation and assistance.

The past Session has been quite as successful as any of its predecessors. The programme of Papers giving opportunities for the consideration and discussion of questions connected with every great division of the Colonies, as well as of India, has been fully carried out. The attendances at the Meetings themselves, and the spirit with which the discussions have been sustained by a variety of speakers of weight and wide experience, have given increased importance and usefulness to the deliberations of the Institute.

The Papers read during the Session have been as follows:1. Indian Famines, and How to Modify the Causes that Lead to Them. By Robert H. Elliot, Esq.

2. Queensland and Chinese Immigration. By Arthur Macalister, Esq., C.M.G., Agent-General for Queensland.

3. A Sketch of New South Wales, from 1788 to 1876. By Sir Daniel Cooper, Bart.

4. The Character of the Colonial and Indian Trade of England, Contrasted with her Foreign Trade. By J. Forbes Watson, Esq., M.A., M.D., LL.D.

5. New Zealand and the South Sea Islands, and their Relation to the Empire. By Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Agent-General for New Zealand.

6. Canada, and its Vast Undeveloped Interior. By Sandford

Fleming, Esq., C.E., C.M.G., Engineer-in-Chief of the Newfoundland, Inter-colonial, and Canadian Pacific Railways.

7. Glimpses of Natal. By John Robinson, Esq., M.L.C.

8. The Angora Goat, and its Naturalisation in British Colonies. By Gavin Gatheral, Esq., H.B.M.'s Vice-Consul, Angora.

9. The Proposed Ramiseram Ship Canal between India and Ceylon. By S. McBean, Esq., C.E.

10. A Colonial Naval Volunteer Force. By Thomas Brassey, Esq., M.P.

Since the last Annual Meeting 97 Fellows have been elected, of whom 49 are Resident, and 48 Non-Resident. Among the names of those whose loss by death the Council have had to deplore is that of Edward Wilson, Esq., one of the Vice-Presidents, who was always among their most warm and active supporters, and one of their most energetic and distinguished colleagues. His death is a real Colonial calamity.

Among the presentations to the Library which demand special attention are complete sets of Votes and Proceedings and Journals of the Legislative Council by the Government of New South Wales. The Council are extremely grateful for these valuable contributions, which, they trust, will be followed by similar ones from all the other Colonies which have not yet made them to the Institute, as it is the object of the Council to provide in a central position in London, a complete Library of reference on all Colonial subjects.

The Annual Conversazione, which is looked forward to as a most important Colonial representative réunion, and which is always most attractive, agreeable, and interesting, took place at the South Kensington Museum on Thursday, the 27th June, the day before the Annual Meeting.

Although during the last few months the attention and interest of the whole Empire have been absorbed by momentous questions, involving anxious considerations of Peace or War, the relations of the Colonies as integral parts of it have not been forgotten. On the contrary, they have been brought out into greater prominence. The readiness with which Canada has evinced her desire to contribute forces, if necessary, to fight for Great Britain, and the measures taken by the Australian Colonies to bear their part in any struggle that might unhappily arise, have refuted the unworthy insinuations that the Colonies would abandon the Mother-country if they found it likely that they might be involved in any war in which she was engaged. The magnificent Colonial contributions to the Indian Famine Fund have no less proved that they are prompted by nobler sentiments towards every part of her dominions of sympathy,

loyalty, and love. In fact, it is becoming more and more evident that if anything was wanting to demonstrate the strength of the ties which unite its people together as one Nation, it would be the chance of a foreign attack upon, or the existence of a widespread calamity in, any portion of the British Empire.

LIST OF DONORS.