the office of treasurer or home secretary may, however, be filled by appointment of the president of the Academy until the next stated session of the Academy.

SEC. 2. The officers of the Academy, together with six members to be elected by the Academy at the first stated session in each year, shall constitute a council for the transaction of such business as may be assigned to them by the constitution of the Academy.

SEC. 3. The president of the Academy, or, in case of his absence or inability to act, the vice-president, shall preside at the meetings of the Academy and of the council; shall name all committees except such as are otherwise especially provided for; shall refer investigations required by the Government of the United States to members especially conversant with the subjects, and report thereon to the Academy at its session next ensuing; and, with the council, shall direct the general business of the Academy.

It shall be competent for the president, in special cases, to call in the aid, upon committees, of experts or men of special attainments, not members of the Academy.

SEC. 4. The foreign and home secretaries shall conduct the corre spondence proper to their respective departments, advising with the president and council in cases of doubt, and reporting their action to the Academy at one of the stated sessions in each year.

It shall be the duty of the home secretary to give notice to the members of the place and time of all meetings, of all nominations for membership, and of all proposed amendments to the constitution.

The minutes of each session shall be duly engrossed before the next stated session, under the direction of the home secretary.

SEC. 5. The treasurer shall attend to all receipts and disbursements of the Academy, giving such bond and furnishing such vouchers as the council may require. He shall collect all dues from members, and keep a set of books showing a full account of receipts and disbursements. He shall present a general report at the April session. He shall be the custodian of the corporate seal of the Academy.

ARTICLE III.-OF THE MEETINGS.

SEC. 1. The Academy shall hold one stated session in each year, in the city of Washington, on the third Tuesday in April, and another may be held at such place and time as the council shall determine.

Special sessions of the Academy may be called, by order of eight members of the council, at such place and time as may be designated in the call.

Scientific sessions of the Academy may be held at times and places to be designated by the majority of the council.

SEC. 2. The names of the members present at each daily meeting shall be recorded in the minutes; and the members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

SEC. 3. Scientific meetings of the Academy, unless otherwise ordered by a majority of the members present, shall be open to the public; those for the transaction of business, closed.

SEC. 4. The stated meetings of the council shall be held during the stated or special sessions of the Academy. Special meetings may be convened at the call of the president and two members of the council, or of four members of the council.

SEC. 5. No member who has not paid his dues shall take part in the business of the Academy.

ARTICLE IV.-OF ELECTIONS AND RESIGNATIONS.

SEC. 1. All elections shall be by ballot, and each election shall be held separately, unless otherwise ordered by this constitution.

SEC. 2. The time for holding an election for officers shall be fixed by the Academy at least one day before the election is held.

SEC. 3. The six additional members of the council shall be elected on any day after the first of the first stated session in each year, by each voter inscribing six names on his ballot, and those six who have received more votes than any others shall be declared elected. If two or more names have received the lowest number of votes that would elect, additional balloting shall be had for as many members as remain each time to be elected until the number is full.

The term of the members so elected shall commence at the close of the session at which they are elected, and continue until the close of the first stated session in the next year.

SEC. 4. Nominations of members may be made in writing, signed by any five members of the Academy, at any stated session, to be voted on at the next stated session held in Washington, and each nomination shall, at the time of election, be accompanied by a written list of the original works of the nominee.

SEC. 5. Elections for membership shall be held in the following man ner: Each member may inscribe on a ballot not more than five names of nominees selected from the list. Absent members may send such ballots to the home secretary. From the seven names receiving the highest number of votes in this preference ballot, the members present may proceed to elect new members in the following manner: At each ballot, each member present may vote for not exceeding three persons, and the person receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected, provided that he receive two-thirds of the votes cast and that his name appear on not less than twenty ballots; and provided further, that the number of members of the Academy be not already one hun. dred or over, in which case to be declared to be elected he must receive four-fifths of the votes cast, and his name must appear on at least twenty-five ballots.

Should several candidates have the same minimum number of votes on the preference list, the requisite number for completing the list shall be selected from them by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

Election of members shall be held only at the regular stated session of each year held in Washington, and not more than five members shall be elected at that session.

Before and during elections, a discussion of the merits of nominees will be in order.

The election of members may be suspended at any time by a majority vote of the members present.

SEC. 6. Every member elect shall accept his membership, personally or in writing, before the close of the next stated session after the date of his election. Otherwise, on proof that the secretary has formally notified him of his election, his name shall not be entered on the roll of members.

SEC. 7. Foreign associates may be nominated by a committee of five members to be appointed for that purpose by the president, and elected at any stated session by a two-thirds vote of the members present. The election shall be had by each member indicating on a ballot those names for which he votes, and those nominees whose names appear on twothirds of the ballots shall be declared elected..

SEC. 8. A diploma, with the corporate seal of the Academy and the signatures of the officers, shall be sent by the appropriate secretary to each member on his acceptance of his membership, and to foreign associates on their election.

SEC. 9. Resignations shall be addressed to the president and acted on by the Academy.

ARTICLE V.-OF SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS, AND

REPORTS.

SEC. 1. Communications on scientific subjects shall be read at scientific meetings of the Academy, and papers by any member may be read by the author, or by any other member, notice of the same having been previously given to the secretary.

SEC. 2. Any member of the Academy may read a paper from a person who is not a member, and shall not be considered responsible for the facts or opinions expressed by the author, but shall be held responsible for the propriety of the paper.

Persons who are not members may read papers on invitation of the president, with the advice of the council.

SEC. 3. The Academy may provide for the publication, under the direction of the council, of proceedings, memoirs, and reports.

SEC. 4. Propositions for investigations or reports by the Academy shall be submitted to the council for approval, except those requested by the Government of the United States, which shall be acted on by the president, who will in such cases report their results to the Government as soon as obtained, and to the Academy at its next following stated session.

SEC. 5. The advice of the Academy shall be, at all times, at the dis

position of the Government, upon any matter of science or art within its scope.

SEC. 6. An annual report to be presented to Congress shall be prepared by the president, and before its presentation submitted by him, first to the council, and afterwards to the Academy, at one of the stated sessions.

SEC. 7. Medals and prizes may be established, and the means of bestowing them accepted by the Academy, upon the recommendation of the council, by whom all the necessary arrangements for their establishment and award shall be made.

Bequests and trusts having for their object the advancement of science may also be accepted and administered by the Academy.

ARTICLE VI.—OF THE PROPERTY OF THE ACADEMY.

SEC. 1. All investments shall be made by the treasurer, in the corporate name of the Academy, in stocks of the United States.

SEC. 2. No contract shall be binding upon the Academy which has not been first approved by the council.

SEC. 3. The assessments required for the support of the Academy shall be fixed by the Academy on the recommendation of the council.

ARTICLE VII.-OF ADDITIONS AND AMENDMENTS.

Additions and amendments to the constitution shall be made only at a stated session of the Academy. Notice of a proposition for such a change must be given at a stated session, and shall be referred to the council, which may amend the proposition, and shall report thereon to the Academy at the same session. Its report shall be considered by the Academy in committee of the whole for amendment.

The proposition as amended, if adopted in committee of the whole, shall be voted on at the next stated session, and if it receives two-thirds of the votes cast it shall be declared adopted.

Absent members may send their votes on pending changes in the constitution to the home secretary in writing, and such votes shall be counted as if the member were present.