ORIGIN OF THE ALBANY INSTITUTE. 



The " Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, Arts 

 and Manufactures ' was formed in February, 1791, at the 

 city of New York, then the seat of government of this 

 state, and was incorporated by the Legislature March 12th, 

 1793. Of this body, Robert R. Livingston (well known as 

 one of the committee appointed to draft the Declaration of 

 Independence, first Chancellor of the State of New York, 

 Minister to France, etc.), was designated in the act of in- 

 corporation as the first president, and so remained until the 

 year 1804, when the act expired by its own limitation. The 

 society was then reincorporated under the title of " The 

 Society for the Promotion of Useful Arts," by an act of 

 the Legislature, passed April 2, 1804, which also consti- 

 tuted Mr. Livingston its first president. Of the labors of 

 this Society, it is enough to say that four octavo volumes, 

 mainly composed of communications read at its sessions, 

 were published ; that it exerted a most favorable influence 

 upon agriculture ; and that it was for five years the organ 

 of the state in distributing premiums for improvements in 

 domestic manufactures. 



" The Albany Lyceum of Natural History " was organ- 

 ized early in 1823, under the presidency of Stephen Van 

 Rensselaer, and was incorporated by the Legislature on the 



23d day of April in that year. Directing its labors to the 

 [Trans, vi.] 38 



