REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 



annual JEeeting, 



A prominent place has been occupied in the Reports of the 

 Council for the last two years, by the progress of the improve- 

 ments consequent on the Society's acquisition of the remains of 

 St. Leonard's Hospital. It was stated in the last Report that 

 owing to the undetermined state of the plans of the City 

 Council with regard to the adjoining streets, these improvements 

 had not been completed. During the past year, however, the 

 boundary and levels having been decided upon, and the unsightly 

 buildings which encumbered the ruins of St. Leonard's Hospital 

 cleared away, a substantial iron fence and gate have been 

 erected along the line of Museum Street, which, by the liberality 

 of the Corporation, now forms the boundary of the Society's 

 grounds. 



This change of boundary involved the necessity of the removal 

 of the Porter's Lodge; and the Council were anxiously em- 

 ployed in consulting with the Architect on the difficult question 

 of the site and design of a new lodge, when the adjoining 

 freehold house, the property of E. S. Cayley, Esq., and lately 

 tenanted by Miss Yorke, was offered for sale. It had long been 

 the opinion of several members and zealous friends of the 

 Society, that should an opportunity occur of purchasing this 

 house, it ought not to be lost, from a conviction of the import- 

 ance of its possession to the Society, both with reference to 

 present convenience and future possible improvements. After 

 much negociation, the Council resolved to effect the purchase, 



