It appears from this statement, that even under 

 favourable circumstances, it is not without the most 

 rigid economy that the income of the Society can be 

 made to satisfy its ordinary expenditure — an economy 

 involving the almost total suppression of one important 

 organ of interest and utility — the assistance of Profes- 

 sional Lecturers; whilst the Museum and Library re- 

 ceive few additions, save from the gratuitous contribu- 

 tions of the friends of Science. With a view to re- 

 move the dead weight with which a considerable debt 

 always presses on Societies like this, and to restore to 

 the Members the full benefits contemplated by the 

 Founders of the Institution, the Council cannot retire 

 from office without endeavouring to impress upon the 

 Members generally, and upon the succeeding Council 

 in particular, the expediency of taking into considera- 

 tion the best mode of applying the resources of the 

 Society to the liquidation of its debt, whether charge- 

 able on the ordinary or the proprietary fund. The 

 time has been, when an appeal was never made in vain 

 to the zeal of such Members as were able to testify 

 it by effectual assistance, and when the Society was 

 under no necessity of looking beyond its own ranks 

 for a copious supply of interesting and important Lec- 

 tures ; and it cannot be conceived, that with the love 

 of science and the intellectual advancement of the 

 present day, those resources should now be found in- 

 sufficient. It must be borne in mind that the debt, 

 which is now of long standing, does not appear to 

 have been the result of any prodigality or needless ex- 

 penditure on the part of any preceding Officers of the 



