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 the letter. also carry on business today under the mebnaroe and style as in 1833. Althou. there is no written record at the worlt done try the Calcutta Chamber 0! Commerce in its nineteen earsotenstenoedt must have clearly ghthonretothe merchants olCal. outta the practial value of organization. In 1853 the Bengal Chamber at Commercearneinto eaistenee.utdthe Calcutta Chamber ceased to he. alter doirt its work in serving as the Minds. tion or the more rigorous institution. When the Berg-I Chamber at Commerce was founded in r853 it had a membershi rollol 86 Calcutta mem- hersand ei; molussil members. The Committee that was charged With the construction of the new Chatrrher was composed at the [allowing gentlemen :—hlr. J. J. Mackenzie. o! Messrs. Nsclillo Stewart It Co. ; hlr. W. W. Ker tlewel of Messrs. Kcttlewell, Ilrahhle 8: Co. (now Meats. Kettle-ell, Bullen 6: 00.); and Mr. D. Mackinlay. of Messrs. Gillanders, :Irh Atsthe spectal meeting on 1 ay 1 53. when the Chant r ﬁnally took aha ll apecial vote 0! thanks was to Mr. W. W. Kettlcwell for his work in connection with the project. The following gentlemen outstituted the ﬁrst Committee of the Chamber :— Mr. J. ]. Hackenaie. President ; Mr. D. Machiulay, \iiooPresident; hit. David Corrie. Mr. {he Elliott1 Mr. W. W. Kettleaell. . C. B. Skinner. and Mr. J. P. Maehellyan-

Toe Pustoetn's.

The list of Fresidents who have held olhce since Mr. J. J. liachenzie ﬁrst presided over the deliberations of the Chamber mkea roIL

Mr. Mackenaie held ofﬁce from the rst May r853 to Hay 1855. Hem succeeded )lr. David Cowie. who held office three years. from 1855 to 1858. Mr. D. Machinlay. at News. Gillanders. Arbuthnot & Co. held the position {or two years. from 1858 to 186°. and he was succeeded by Mr. J. N. Bullen. ot‘ hlessra. Kettlewell. Bullen. aho acted as President from 1860 to 1861. from 1861 to 1863, and from May 1864 to hlay 1866. It other leading merchants who have hel the position of President arm—The late Mr. F. Schiller. o! hlessrs. Bomdaile. Schiller & Co. who was President in IS“. The late Mr. R. J. Bullen Smith. eat. of Messrs. Jardioe.

THE CYCLOI’EDIA OF INDIA.

Skinner a: Ca ; the late Mr. George Yule o! Messrs. Andrew Yule 8: Co- ; the late Mr. ]. 1.].Keswici. o! Meats. Jardinc. ﬁtting & Co. ; hlr. H. II. B. Turner. (21.1. 0! Messrs. Turner. Morrison & Co; the late Ilr. Robert Steel. est. 0! Messrs. R. Steel 8: Co; Sir Alexander Wilson. oi hleaars. )ardtne. Skinner llr Co: Sir James L My. near 0.. a one. o! hlessrs. Machinnon. hlaehenaie & Co. ; Sir Patrick I'laylair. at. c.1.r.. 0! Hearts Barry & Co; Sir Allan Arthur. at. of HeasraEw' a: Co;Sir Montague Turner. 81.. hlesan. Macktnnon. Mackenzie 8: Co; the Hon Mr. [-1. Cable. 0! Messrs Birddr Co. and the present President. the Han. Mr. A. A. Apcar. o! Messrs. Apcar & Co.

The lint Secretary 04 the Chamber was hlr. 'l’. 3!. Robinson, who only howeverheld odiceltwayear.and he was succeeded in May 1854 by Mr. H. W. I. Wood. who held the appointment {or thirtyyeara, retiring in 1884. Mr. Wood wasancceeded by Mr. 1. F. Rutherford. who alter only a [cw months' savioens unlortunately removed hydeath. Hr. 5.3].Chrhe was then appointed, andhe remained as Seaetary oi the Chamber for eleven and a hall years until his death in January 1897. lintl‘larhe‘s mnnec~ tion with the Chamher will long be remembered as a fruitful ore. Great activity was then displayed in all directions, and the inﬂuence of the ChIarnher was mgidcly felt. "

n 1897 praentSecr. r. W. Parsons. whohad beenth Secretary for the previousﬁve years, was appointed. andthcaeope othis work is maideme indicated by the many important questions that the Chamber has of late years taken up and the griendid results achieved for the commercial community.

To: Wort: or 131: Camus.

In reviewing the work at an important institution like the Bengal Chamber of Commerce. it is of cot|rrae onl hle to give a mere out inc and m to indicate the very great inﬂuence it hat exerted on the lorrunes of the Province. Lord Curson. him- selfa wonderful organiser. was not slow to recopriee the great work donehythe Committee. and he re an idea oi the nine he altar: torts inﬂuence at the memorable dinner held on the nth February 1903 to celebrate the Filtrrth Anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce.

During the course at the Viceroy's speech. probably the most business- lthe and inspiring oration from the eotnnserc'ul point of view et'er deliver- ed hy an Indian Viceroy—he took occasion to outline the many rel‘orms that he contemplated. particularly those touching on commercial matters.

He then took the country into his conﬁdence with reprd to many big ache-res. for the commercial adrance- ment 0! India. schemes that are now being realised. And. in making the occasion the medium [or his pro monuments, he paid a wellvdeserred compliment to the inﬂuence and im

a! theCharnher. He referred to the creation 0! a Department 01 Commerce. which has since been lirme established. and the great help alorded ions by the Chamber 0! Commercehtthe nutter. The Viceroy was insistent on the (act that the Government machine needed the huaineselemcnt to vitaliaeit: “After an experience of tour years in this country. Ida not hesitate to any that we are trying to run this Empire with a stall that would he considered inade- quate in a second-class European kingdom We came here as traders. we developed 1nto conquerors. arid long since we were turned into rtd» ministrators But now the Government «I I1 dia are expected to be much more. We are required to be u to date and to know everything a tit agriculture. commerce. emigration. labour. shipping. customs. the applica tion of rcsence to every form ol production. the secrets 0! cool. iron. steel. salt. oﬂ. tea. cotton. indigo and jute. The ﬁct ts that we have not yet expanded to the needs 0! the new situ- atiau You cannot in a moment talre a 2‘: °‘ “$3. “mﬁmm capect to t e ca ci- ties of the merchant. Grating!» but surely. we shall make things right. I am the last man to propose the multiplication 0! posts or the creation 0! sinecures. We must have special departments and special men over them to deal with special iohs, instead ol allowing technical subjects to he dull with at the end of a day's work by s tired-out civilian"

For this hearty appreciation of the business needs of the communit. Lord Curron was heartily ap uded. 'jAlrc-sdy." he went on to say. “ in in tune we have done a good deal in th s

ct. We have placed education and reﬁning under upert heads. We