160
HISTORY OF
[1780—85.
On the conclusion of this defence, a motion wasmade by Mr. Pownall, and seconded by Mr. Glenie,“ That if Dr. Hutton hath been in the opinion of anyMember of the Society criminated, it is the opinion ofthe Society that he hath fully justified himself.” Thiswas carried by a majority of 30, there being 45 for,and 15 against it 9 .” Here, it might be imagined,the affair would have ended. On the one hand, Dr.Hutton, who, unfortunately, had not given satisfactionto the President and Council, had resigned, and onthe other, the Fellows had carried their motions ofthanks and exoneration. But deeper feelings wereat work; for Dr. Horsley, afterwards Bishop of St.Asaph, is reported to have stated, in one of hisspeeches upon the 18th December, “ that the Societywas in circumstances which rendered debate neces-sary to its preservation; that its chartered rights hadbeen infringed; the freedom of its elections control-led ; the business of the Committee of Papers mis-managed : that he had charges to bring forward,which might keep the Society in debate the wholewinter; especially if upon every occasion of debate,it was first to be debated whether the company shoulddebate or not:—perhaps beyond the winter; perhapstill the season should return for the President toinculcate his annual admonition from the chair, whichit was to be hoped would never be again, what it hadtoo long been, a nugatory form 10 ; his admonition to