BY-LAWS. CHAPTER I. TITLE. The title of the Society is, "The American Geographical Society." CHAPTER II. OBJECTS. The objects of the Society are, "The collecting and diffusing of geographical and statistical information." CHAPTER III. MEMBERS. 1. The Society shall consist of Fellows, Honorary, Corresponding, and ex-officio members. 2. Honorary members shall be chosen on account of their distinction in the science of geography or statistics, and not more than twelve of them shall hereafter be elected in any one year. 3. Corresponding members shall be chosen from those who have aided the advancement of geography or statistics. 4. Ex-officio members shall be foreign diplomatic representatives and consuls resident in the United States; and United States diplomatic representatives and consuls in foreign countries. 5. Fellows and Corresponding and Honorary members shall be elected as follows: All nominations of candidates shall be openly made in writing at a meeting of the Society, or the Council, by a member thereof, and, together with the name of the member making them, entered on the minutes. The persons thus nominated, when approved by the Council and elected by the Society, shall, on payment of the initiation fee, if nominated as Fellows, and without such payment if nominated as Corresponding or Honorary members, become members of the Society accordingly. 6. Persons entitled to become ex-officio members of the Society shall, on the recommendation of the Council, be, by the Society, constituted and declared to be such members. 7. The name of any member of the Society may, on the recommendation of the Council, and by a vote of two thirds cf the members present at a stated meeting of the Society, be dropped from the rell of its members. CHAPTER IV. INITIATION FEE AND ANNUAL DUES. 1. The initiation fee, including the dues for the current year, shall be, for a Fellow, ten dollars, to be paid immediately on election. 2. The annual dues thereafter shall be, for a Fellow, ten dollars, to be paid in advance. 3. Any Fellow of the Society, not in arrears, may commute for life all dues for fellowship by the payment at one time, if a Fellow, of one hundred dollars. 4. The name of any Fellow of the Society neglecting for two successive years to pay his annual dues, or at any time wholly refusing to pay them, may by the Council be erased from the list of Fellows of the Society. 5. The fiscal year of the Society shall, for all purposes, be the calendar year-that is, commence on the first day of January, and end with the 31st day of December in each year. CHAPTER V. OFFICERS. 1. The officers of the Society shall be a president, three vicepresidents, a foreign corresponding secretary, a domestic corresponding secretary, a recording secretary, a treasurer, and fifteen councillors; and these, together, shall form the Council of the Society. 2. The officers and members of Council elected at the next annual election (except the president and treasurer) shall, at their first meeting, divide themselves into three classes, each to embrace one vice-president, one secretary, and five members of the Council; one of which classes shall hold office one year, one for two years, and another for three years, to be determined at said meeting by lot or otherwise. The president and treasurer shall always be elected annually; and at each annual election thereafter there shall be elected a vice-president, a secretary, and five members of Council, each for the term of three years. 3. All officers of the Society to be chosen at any election may be voted for on one ballot. CHAPTER VI. ANNUAL MEETING. 1. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held on the second Tuesday after the first day of January in each and every year hereafter, when the annual election of the officers of the Society shall take place; and if, from any cause, there shall be a failure of the annual election at the time above designated for that purpose, the same may be held on the Tuesday next following-that is, on the third Tuesday after the first day of January in each year-and of which due notice shall be given. 2. Every member of the Society, who has been such for twenty days or more, and who is not in arrears for his dues for the past year, shall be entitled to vote at the said election. 3. At the annual meeting of the Society the Council shall present a general report of its proceedings and of those of the Society during the past year, and the secretaries and the treasurer shall also present their annual reports. CHAPTER VII. MONTHLY AND SPECIAL MEETINGS. 1. The Society, unless otherwise specially ordered by the Society or the Council, shall hold its stated meetings for the transaction of business on the second Tuesday of each month of the year, except July, August, and September.. 2. The president, or, in his absence, one of the vice-presidents, may, and upon the written request of five members, shall, call a special meeting of the Society by giving three days' notice thereof in two daily newspapers published in the city of New York. CHAPTER VIII. ORDER OF BUSINESS. 1. At all stated meetings of the Society for the transaction of ordinary business the order of proceedings shall be as follows: 1. Reading of the Minutes. 2. Reports and Communications from Officers of the Society. 5. Nominations of Members. 7. Unfinished Business. 8. Miscellaneous Business. 9. Papers Read and Addresses Delivered before the Society. 2. All propositions presented for the action of the Society at any of its meetings shall be in writing, when requested by the presiding officer or any member. A proposition thus presented, when seconded and the question thereon stated from the chair, shall be deemed to be in the possession of the Society and open for discussion, but may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before amendment or decision. 3. No member shall speak more than once upon the same question until all the other members present desiring to speak shall have spoken, nor more than twice on any question without leave of the Society. CHAPTER IX. QUORUM. At all meetings of the Society nine members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. CHAPTER X. COMMITTEES. All committees authorized by the Society shall, unless otherwise specially ordered, consist of three members each, and be appointed by the presiding officer. CHAPTER XI. PRESIDING OFFICER. At all meetings of the Society, on the arrival of the appointed hour and the presence of a quorum, the president, or in his absence one of the vice-presidents, or in the absence of both a chairman pro tem., shall immediately take the chair, call the meeting to order, and preside. He shall have only a casting vote. He shall preserve order and decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Society. He shall also, unless otherwise specially ordered, appoint all committees authorized by the Society; and at every annual election, before the opening of the polls, he shall appoint two tellers of the election. CHAPTER XII. SECRETARIES. 1. Foreign Corresponding Secretary.-It shall be the duty of the foreign corresponding secretary to conduct the general correspondence of the Society with individuals and associate bodies in foreign countries. 2. Domestic Corresponding Secretary.-It shall be the duty of the domestic corresponding secretary to conduct the Society's general correspondence with individuals and associate bodies in the United States. 3. Both the foreign and domestic secretaries shall keep in suitable books to be provided for that purpose, at the Society's rooms, true copies of all letters written by them respectively on behalf of the Society; and shall preserve, on proper files, at the said rooms, all letters received by them on the same account; and at each stated meeting of the Society or the Council, they shall respectively report their correspondence, and read the same, or such parts thereof as may be required. 4. In case of vacancy in the office of either of the corresponding secretaries, or in the absence or disability of either of these officers, the duties of both may be performed by the other corresponding secretary. 5. The Society may designate a particular officer, or appoint a committee to prepare a letter or letters on any special occasion. 6. Recording Secretary.-It shall be the duty of the recording |