172 



KKl'OKT OF TIIJ': COUNCIL, 



IxKTURN of Amount paid for Labour at the 

 Garden for the three last Years. 



Weekly Ordinary I^abour 



Labour charged to " Exhibition Expenses" . 



Extra 



,, ,, " Garden Repairs" 



,, ,, " Distribution Expenses" 



" New Works" . 



" American Exhibition" 



Total . . . . 



Thus it will be seen tliat the apparent increase in the cost of 

 labour just referred to arises out of the manner in whicli it has 

 been charged in the Society's accounts, and does not show 

 any real excess of outlay. 



Exclusive of the affairs of the Garden the points on which the 

 Council have to report relate to finances and general adminis- 

 tration. 



During the year just elapsed one very important change has 

 been made in the resources of the Society. Jn the beginning of 

 the year 1851 it was represented by one of tlie Fellows that it 

 would be only an equitable arrangement if those who had long 

 been annual subscribers were allowed to compound for all further 

 payments at a lower rate than that of ten years' purchase. A 

 Fellow, for example, who iiad paid 4 guineas annually during 

 20 years, seemed entitled to compound at a different rate from 

 one newly elected, and from whom no annual payments whatever 

 had been received. After a very careful consideration of this 

 suggestion the Council were of opinion that it would be beneficial 

 alike to individual Fellows and to tlie funds of tiie Society if an 

 alteration in the amount of life subscriptions or compositions 

 were made upon the following plan : — 



To pay when fii'st elected, 42/. ; at tiie end of seven years, 

 31/. 10*. ; at the end of fourteen years, 26/. 5s. ; at the end of 

 twenty years, 21/. 



It was therefore resolved to recommend to the Fellows, that the 

 existing By-law relating to Compositions should be repealed, and 

 a new By-law passed, giving power to the Council to accept 

 the modified amounts just mentioned. After passing through the 

 forms required by the Charter, this proposition was affirmed at a 

 General Meeting, on the 1 7th of February of the present year, and 



