164

HISTORY OF

[ 1780 — 85 .

and agreed to without a ballot, the question thusamended was put, and likewise negatived by a ma-jority of 79, the ayes being 23, and the noes 102.” Alull followed; the ensuing Meetings were devoted tothe reading of papers which had been postponedduring the former Meetings. But an unexpected inci-dent plunged the Society into fresh troubles. At theordinary Meeting of the 25th March, after the prelimi-nary business had been transacted, Mr. Maty (Secre-tary) produced a pamphlet, which, says the Journal-book, “ he offered as a present to the Society , fromthe anonymous editors.” This was the tract entitled,An Authentic Narrative of the Dissensions andDebates in the Royal Society . It was no sooner laidupon the table, than the President rose, and informedthe Meeting, “ that he knew this pamphlet to containsuch misrepresentation, and so many passages whichreflected upon the honour of the Society, that heconsidered the offering it as a present an insult uponthe Society, and that he should not therefore, unlesscalled upon by a very perceptible majority of theMeeting, propose the usual thanks to the donor,”The Minutes proceed to inform us that, “ Dr. Horsleyhereupon moved, that thanks be returned to the donor,Dr. Hutton seconded the motion, and it was furthersupported by Mr. Maty; but no one else speaking infavour of it, and several Members expressing theirwish that it be withdrawn, the question was not put.Mr. Maty hereupon declined proceeding in the regu-lar business of the Society, declaring it to be hisopinion, that until the question moved and secondedwas regularly put to the ballot, no other business couldbe proceeded with. Being called on from the Chairto read the papers before him, he at first acquiesced,