84 



a hearty expression of acknowledgment of his ability and 

 assiduity in the discharge of his secretarial duties and the 

 superintendence of the Society's publications, and of the 

 courtesy with which he has always met every call made 

 upon him by the members of the Society and its Council." 



Report of the Council, April, 1885, 



The Treasurer again reports that the ordinary expenditure 

 of the Society has exceeded the ordinary receipts, as will be 

 seen from the comparative Accounts attached to this Report, 

 and your Council can suggest no sounder means of restoring 

 the finances of the Society to a more healthy condition than 

 by again earnestly recommending an increase in the number 

 of ordinary members. Fewer members have been elected 

 this year than was the case last year, the total number upon 

 the roll is out of all proportion to the numbers of original 

 observers resident in Manchester and its neighbourhood. 



In the last Eeport your CouDcil reported that Sir Henry 

 Roscoe had undertaken to appeal to the members and friends 

 of the Society for funds to erect a new library and general 

 meeting room on the land at the rear of the old building ; 

 this appeal has resulted in promises amounting to £2,308 Is., 

 of which £2,247 have been received in the Society's finan- 

 cial year. For the generous gifts thus placed at the disposal 

 of the Society, your Council returns its grateful thanks. 

 Details of this Centenary Fund will be found in the accom- 

 panying separate account. During the year, a commodious 

 building has been erected, but funds beyond what have 

 been promised will be required to complete and furnish the 

 new building, as well as to renovate the old premises. But 

 beyond these necessities, the Society will not have worthily 

 celebrated its centenary, unless an ample fund is set aside 

 to ensure more frequent issues of the Society's Memoirs. 



The number of Ordinary Members on the roU of the 

 Society on the 1st April, 1884, was 144, and 3 new members 



