7, an increase of nearly 500 in two years.

The discussion was carried on at a series of meetings held at Essex
Hall, Strand, under the chairmanship of Mr. H. Bond Holding, on December
7th and 14th, 1906, and January 11th and 18th, February 1st and March
8th, and also at the Annual Meeting for 1905-6, held on February 22nd,
1907. The series was interrupted for the London County Council Election
on March 2nd, in which many of the members were concerned.

With a view to a "Second Reading" debate the executive Committee had put
down a general resolution that their report be received, but Mr. Wells
did not fall in with this plan, and the resolution on the motion of
Bernard Shaw was adopted without discussion. On the first clause of the
next resolution, instructing the Executive to submit amendments to the
Rules for increasing their number to twenty-five, Mr. Wells, acting for
himself, moved an amendment "approving the spirit of the report of the
Committee of Enquiry, and desiring the outgoing Executive to make the
earliest possible arrangements for the election of a new Executive to
give effect to that report." His speech, which occupied an hour and a
quarter and covered the whole field, would have been great if Mr. Wells
had been a good speaker. Written out from notes, it was printed in full
by himself for circulation amongst the members, and it is vigorous,
picturesque entertaining, and imaginative, as his work always is. But it
delivered him into the hands of his more experienced opponents by
virtually challenging the society to discard them and enter on a
regenerated career under his guidance. It was a heroic issue to force;
and it was perhaps the real one; but it could have only one result. The
discussion was adjourned to the 14th, and at 9 o'clock on that evening
Bernard Shaw replied on the whole debate. His main proposition was that,
as the amendment had been converted by Mr. Wells' printed and circulated
speech into a motion of want of confidence, the leaders of the Society
must and would retire if it were adopted. They were willing to discuss
every point on its merits and to abide by the decision of the Society,
but they would not accept a general approval of the Committee's Report
as against their own when it implied an accusation of misconduct. In the
course of the speech Mr. Wells pledged himself not to retire from the
Society if he was defeated; and at the end of it he consented to
withdraw his amendment. Berna