PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 26^ 



the purpose of reading the newspapers. Be this as it may, it is rare to see any 

 one in the room dedicated to books and periodicals, while on the other hand we 

 have never found the newspaper room empty. 



Several excellent lectures have been delivered at the Lyceum, but the library 

 and museum are at present very small, and the apartments inadequate to con- 

 tain a better collection. As long as so large a proportion of the funds* go to 

 purchase newspapers, so long will tradesmen join the Society with the sole view 

 of reading them, and so long, we opine, will the scientific men and the gentry be 

 prevented from supporting it. It is obviously unfair that those who are really 

 interested in the welfare of a scientific institution should be obliged to see it 

 turned into a political news-room ; and although no member is compelled to con- 

 tribute towards the newspaper fund, yet the fact of newspapers being admitted 

 at all, must and will prevent the utility of the literary and scientific department 

 from becoming so extended as it might otherwise be. 



The president for the current year is Edmund Beckett Denison, Esq. ; the 

 six vice-presidents are, Henry Bower, Esq., F.S.A. ; E. Scholfield, M.D. ; 

 Ferguson Branson, M.D.; J. W. Childers, Esq., M.P. ; Mr. E. Sheardown; 

 T. Walker, Esq. 



The list of members includes all the professional men of the town ; but, whe- 

 ther for the reason we have assigned, or from some other cause, the gentry have 

 never given the Lyceum their support. Only compare the following list with 

 the array of names we have extracted from the report of the Shrewsbury Society 

 (p. 267) ! 



Sir W. B. Cooke, Bart., Wheatley Hall ; J. W. Childers, Esq., M.P., Cant- 

 ley Hall ; P. D. Cooke, Esq., Owston Hall ; G. Martin, Esq., Kirk Sandall ; 

 T. Walker, Esq., Wilsic ; Neville Wood, Esq., Campsall Hall. 



That the Doncaster Lyceum is progressing we do not deny, but before it can 

 hold up its head amongst other provincial societies, it must be equally well con- 

 ducted. That we wish it success we need hardly say ; whether or not it will 

 succeed depends upon the judicious exertions of its members and officers. 



It were unfair to close our present notice without observing that our correspon- 

 dent, the Rev. F. Orpen Morris, has been a most liberal contributor to the mu- 

 seum. 



* About £18 annually. 



