4 



require amendment, and to devise means to improve the 

 financial position of the Society. A variety of valuable 

 suggestions were offered, of which several were brought 

 before the Council in a short Report. The most promi- 

 nent of these, urged the necessity of making a vigorous 

 effort to pay off the Proprietary and Ordinary Debts. This 

 portion of the Report was at once adopted by the Council, 

 and it was determined to make a general Canvass of the 

 friends of Literature and Science in the Town and Neigh- 

 bourhood. The Canvass proved very successful, the sum 

 of £820. 13s. having been raised; and the Council have 

 the high gratification to announce that the Proprietary and 

 Ordinary Debts have been extinguished, and that after the 

 liquidation of all other claims, a handsome sum remains in 

 the hands of the Treasurer. The success of the Canvass 

 was materially assisted by the taking up of the four unap- 

 propriated Proprietary Shares of £100 each. Several years 

 ago our late Member, W. Aldam, jun., Esq., made the 

 munificent offer to take one of the unsold Proprietary 

 Shares, provided the remaining three were also taken up, 

 and the remainder of the Debt entirely paid off. These 

 conditions could not be complied with, until the present 

 Canvass. Mr. Aldam, nevertheless, did not consider his 

 promise cancelled by the lapse of time, and an application 

 having been made to our present Members, William 

 Beckett and James Garth Marshall, Esquires, and to 

 James Brown, Esq. of Harehills, the three remaining 

 Shares were at once liberally taken. 



