ures he possessed in a large measure, nor did he sacrifice the honor of a noble profession, for the sake of temporarily saving a party who had sought his aid and was willing to reward him for it. If all witnesses summoned as experts, in all departments of art and science, would imitate the lofty example of our late associate, expert testimony might be redeemed from the suspicion and disrepute which now lies upon it, in our courts of justice.

Dr. Sargent had a remarkably clear and forcible style or manner of stating facts and opinions, and he was never at a loss to give a reason for an opinion which he had once expressed. In giving his testimony he rarely ever used technical words; but his well-chosen language was such as to render his explanations and statements of recondite subjects plain to the learned and unlearned alike.

He had a wholesome contempt for all ostentatious displays of learning, and, although his knowledge of his profession was varied and profound, he kept his knowledge for use and not for show. His first statements of a case as a witness, were ordinarily so clear, full and fair, that no amount of cross-examination could change or essentially modify them.

Such a man, so abundant in learning, so filled with the love of truth, became a material assistant in the administration of justice in our Courts. And in closing this brief notice of him, I venture the affirmation, after having heard many of the most eminent members of the profession, as witnesses in the Courts, in all parts of the Commonwealth, that I remember no one who, in fulness and exactness of knowledge, in clearness and fairness of statement, was the superior of Dr. Sargent.

Brief eulogistic remarks were also made by Hon. EDWARD L. DAVIS.

PROCEEDINGS.

ANNUAL MEETING, OCTOBER 22, 1888, AT THE HALL OF THE SOCIETY IN WORCESTER.

THE President, STEPHEN SALISBURY, A.M., in the chair. The following members were present (the names being arranged in order of seniority of membership): George E. Ellis, Edward E. Hale, Charles Deane, George F. Hoar, Andrew P. Peabody, George Chandler, Nathaniel Paine, Stephen Salisbury, P. Emory Aldrich, Samuel A. Green, Elijah B. Stoddard, George S. Paine, Edward L. Davis, William A. Smith, James F. Hunnewell, John D. Washburn, Edward H. Hall, Reuben A. Guild, Charles C. Smith, Hamilton B. Staples, Edmund M. Barton, Charles Devens, Thomas L. Nelson, Lucius R. Paige, Samuel S. Green, Justin Winsor, Henry W. Haynes, Edward I. Thomas, Frederick W. Putnam, Andrew McF. Davis, J. Evarts Greene, Henry S. Nourse, William B. Weeden, Daniel Merriman, Ebenezer Cutler, Reuben Colton, Robert N. Toppan, Henry H. Edes, Grindall Reynolds, George E. Francis, Frank P. Goulding, A. George Bullock.

The record of the last meeting was read and approved. The report of the Council was submitted in two parts, the first by the Recording Secretary, and the second by Rev. EDWARD E. HALE, D.D.

NATHANIEL PAINE, Esq., Treasurer, submitted his report in print, and EDMUND M. BARTON, Esq., Librarian, read his report.

Rev. GEORGE E. ELLIS, D.D., moved that the above reports, as together constituting the whole report of the Council, be adopted.

The motion of Dr. ELLIS was seconded by Mr. SAMUEL S. GREEN, who made some remarks relative to the trial of Mrs. Spooner, in Worcester, in 1778, whose execution had been incidentally mentioned in the Librarian's report. These remarks, subsequently enlarged by himself, are printed later on in these proceedings.

JUSTIN WINSOR, LL.D., referred to several authorities not cited by Dr. HALE. Further brief remarks were made, mainly on the subjects of the numbers and sailing ports of privateers, by Rev. GRINDALL REYNOLDS, ANDREW MCF. DAVIS, Esq., SAMUEL A. GREEN, M.D., and Prof. FREDERICK W. PUTNAM.

The report of the Council was then adopted and referred to the Committee of Publication.

The Recording Secretary made a communication to the Society from the Council, recommending a change in the by-law relative to the time of holding the annual meeting. The proposition of the Council was that when the 21st of October shall fall on Sunday or Monday the annual meeting be held on the following Wednesday. After a brief discussion and informal expression of opinion, on motion of Mr. HOAR, it was voted to recommit the subject to the Council to be reported upon at the April meeting.

The Recording Secretary also communicated the names of the following gentlemen, recommended by the Council for membership in the Society:

Mr. JOHN NICHOLAS BROWN, of Providence, R. I.
Mr. GEORGE WASHINGTON CABLE, of Northampton,
Mass.

GRANVILLE STANLEY HALL, Ph.D., of Worcester.
SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY, LL.D., of Washington,
D. C.

Mr. HENRY CHARLES LEA, of Philadelphia, Pa.

JOHN MCKINSTRY MERRIAM, A.B., of Framingham,

Mass.

A separate ballot having been taken on each name all the gentlemen nominated were declared elected.

GEORGE E. FRANCIS, M.D., chairman of a committee, "to see whether and how far the Society could now attempt the systematic collection of photographic records," reported that such an attempt would involve an expense of labor, space and money altogether beyond the present resources of the library. The report was accepted.

STEPHEN SALISBURY, A.M., was then unanimously elected President by ballot.

Hon. SAMUEL A. GREEN, M.D., Hon. ELIJAH B. STODDARD and Prof. HENRY W. HAYNES, were appointed a committee to nominate candidates for the remaining offices to be filled by election.

The committee reported the following nominations :

Vice-Presidents:

Hon. GEORGE BANCROFT, LL.D., of Newport, R. I.
Hon. GEORGE F. HOAR, LL.D., of Worcester.

Secretary of Foreign Correspondence:

Hon. J. HAMMOND TRUMBULL, LL.D., of Hartford, Ct. Secretary of Domestic Correspondence: CHARLES DEANE, LL.D., of Cambridge.

Recording Secretary:

Hon. JOHN D. WASHBURN, LL.B., of Worcester.

Treasurer:

NATHANIEL PAINE, Esq., of Worcester.

All of the above being ex-officio members of the Council; and the following

Councillors:

Rev. EDWARD E. HALE, D.D., of Boston.

Hon. SAMUEL A. GREEN, M.D., of Boston.

Hon. P. EMORY ALDRICH, LL.D., of Worcester.
Rev. EGBERT C. SMYTH, D.D., of Andover.
SAMUEL S. GREEN, A.M., of Worcester.

Rev. ANDREW P. PEABODY, D.D., of Cambridge.
CHARLES A. CHASE, A.M., of Worcester.
Hon. EDWARD L. DAVIS, of Worcester.
FRANKLIN B. DEXTER, A.M., of New Haven.
J. EVARTS GREENE, A.B., of Worcester.

Committee of Publication:

Rev. EDWARD E. HALE, D.D., of Boston.
CHARLES DEANE, LL.D., of Cambridge.
NATHANIEL PAINE, Esq., of Worcester.
CHARLES A. CHASE, A.M., of Worcester.

Auditors:

WILLIAM A. SMITH, A.B., of Worcester.
A. GEORGE BULLOCK, A.M., of Worcester.

The report was accepted. By unanimous consent the Secretary was instructed to cast a yea ballot for the abovenamed list, and the gentlemen nominated were accordingly elected.

Hon. GEORGE F. HOAR, LL.D., addressed the Society briefly on two subjects. First as to a controversy or discussion, illustrated by the original manuscript, between Samuel Hopkins and Roger Sherman, on certain theological points, subsequently known as "Hopkinsianism." On this subject Rev. Dr. ELLIS and Rev. Dr. PAIGE spoke briefly. Mr. HOAR's second topic was the Ordinance of 1787, in which he spoke of the authority on which the ordinance was based. To this argument Judge ALDRICH briefly replied.

Mr. HOAR then moved that Rev. Dr. PEABODY be requested to make such annotations on the doctrines of "Hopkinsianism" as he may think proper, all the papers on this and on the Ordinance of 1787 having been referred to the Committee of Publication. Mr. HOAR's motion was adopted.