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and for your generous, though undeserved partiality, by twice electing me unanimously President of our Association. This, gentlemen, I accept and esteem a high honorable position, one that any gentleman in our profession may justly feel proud to occupy.

Accept from me, gentlement, my best and most sincere thanks, and let me assure you that I shall ever feel grateful to the members, one and all, of this Association for this act of their confidence and esteem. I hope that in the selection and choice of one to confer the honor on today you will elect one more worthy to fill the office of President. This being the Third Annual Convention of our Association, may its proceedings and its Association be as pleasant and agreeable as those that are past. When I express my own personal regret for the absence of some of our most worthy members who are unavoidably absent from us today, whose genial fellowship and wise counsel we will saly miss, that I only faintly express the kind, fraternal feeling of those who are present for those who are absent from any [Convention?] today. One more year has passed and been recorded by the [finger?] of time since our last annual meeting.