Viewing page 57 of 84

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS.     135

The Chancellor appointed as the special committee under the fourth resolution, President Porter, Dr. Gray, and Dr. Maclean.

On motion, it was resolved to consider the subject of election to fill the vacancy in the office of Secretary of the Institution.

Dr. Parker urged the propriety of deferring the election of Secretary to a later meeting, as it might appear precipitate to elect now.

Senator Hamlin thought the Board ought to proceed at once to elect a Secretary. To delay would be to invite great contention for the office.

Senator Withers thought the discussion should be confined to the question of postponement.

Dr. Parker then moved that the appointment of a permanent Secretary be postponed until the next annual meeting in January, and suggested that the Assistant Secretary might be invested with power to perform all the functions of Secretary during the interim.

Dr. Maclean said that when President Burr, of Princeton, died, his successor, President Edwards, was elected the fourth day after. He thought prompt action the wisest, and advocated the election of Professor Baird.

Dr. Clymer read the statute, and insisted that the Board was legally bound to elect a Secretary. No funds could be drawn nor payments made by any other officer, and an ad interim was not provided for by the law of organization.

General Garfield suggested to Dr. Parker that he withdraw his motion, and that the Board proceed to elect, so that action might be taken of an affirmative rather than of a negative character.

President Porter expressed the opinion that the Board could elect a Secretary pro tempore.

Dr. Parker then withdrew his motion; and the construction of the statute by Mr. Clymer was agreed to by the majority of the Board.

Mr. Clymer moved to proceed to the election of a Secretary; which was agreed to.

The Chancellor appointed Mr. Sargent and Mr. Clymer as tellers.

The vote was then taken by ballot, and the tellers reported that eleven ballots were cast, all of which were for Spencer Fullerton Baird.

Messrs. Sargent and Clymer were appointed a committee to wait upon Professor Baird and inform him of his election, and invite him to attend the meeting of the Board.

The committee discharged this duty; and at half past eleven o'clock a.m. introduced the Secretary-elect to the Regents.

The Chancellor then formally announced to Professor Baird his unanimous election as Secretary.

Professor Baird made a brief acknowledgment of the honor conferred upon him, and stated that he would endeavor to discharge his duties faithfully and in accordance with the views of his lamented predecessor.