considerably increased, the amount being £5 6s. 6d. 

 Tliese facts will naturally serve as a stimulus to the 

 Council, to render the Museum still more valuable and 

 attractive. 



Another cheering circumstance requires to be men- 

 tioned. In the close of last Report, it was remarked, 

 that a coiTespondence had been entered into with other 

 literary and scientific Institutions, with a view to procure 

 for such Institutions an exemption of the buildings 

 which they occupy from all local Taxes or Assessments. 

 In the course of this year, a Bill for securing this 

 object, prepared chiefly by Mr. Ryland, of Birmingham, 

 was brought into Parliament; petitions in its favour 

 were sent up from various Institutions, including one 

 from our own Society, which was kindly presented by 

 Aaron Chapman, Esq., Member for the Borough. It 

 is gi-atifying to add, that the Bill passed through 

 Parliament without the slightest opposition ; a circum- 

 stance much to the credit of the legislature and the 

 countiy at large. The Bill came into operation in the 

 present month, and in compliance with the requisitions 

 of the Act, your Council have forwarded three copies of 

 our Rules, duly authenticated, to John Tidd Pratt, Esq., 

 the gentleman appointed to examine such Rules, and 

 give certificates for claiming the exemption granted. 

 It is pleasing to think, that we live in a country where 

 the government and legislatm'e are ever ready to afford 

 facilities for scientific pm'suits, and to encourage the 

 spread of education and literature. 



