The stated meeting of the Institute was held this evening at the usual hour, with the President, Mr. Win. P. Tatham, in the chair.
The minutes of' the last meeting were read and approved.
The Actuary submitted the minutes of the Board of Managers, and reported that since the last meeting of the Institute 12 persons had been elected members. He likewise reported the action of the Board in re/~rence to the death of Mr. Robert Briggs.
The President, after an allusion to Mr. Briggs' long and active connection with the Institute, suggested the propriety of appointing a committee to prepare a suitable memorial.
A motion to this effect was made and carried.
The Committee on Meetings, to whom had been referred the subject of the revision of the order of business, reported progress.
The Special Committee on "Fires in Theatres" reported progress and was continued.
The Special Committee on "Patent Legislation," through Mr. Thes. Shaw, the Chairnmn, made a report, which was signed by a ma]oritv of the committee.
On motion of Mr. Burk the report was adopted and the committee was discharged with the thanks of the Institute.
Mr. William E. Lockwood then read a paper "On the Shaw Locomotive," illustrating the same by means of a model engine, specimens and nmdels of various parts of the mechanism, and numerous lantern slides. The paper was attentively listened to, and provoked a lengthy discu~ssion, which was participated in by Messrs. Strong, Shaw, Burk, Cooper, Cox, Whitney and the author. Mr. John W. Cloud, of Altoona, gave, by invitation, some interesting explanations of theoretical and practical points bearing on the subject. The Secretary's report embraced a brief r(~sum6 of the proceedings of the American and British Associations tbr the Advancement of Science ; a description of the application of the Secondary Batter)-to the lighting of cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. ; of the progress of the Hudson River Tunnel, and a description, with lantern illustra-