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near Bolton, and was educated at the Bolton Grammar 

 School. In the commercial world he was well known as 

 the proprietor of factories for the spinning of fine cotton and 

 lace thread. In connection with his public career it may be 

 mentioned that he was formerly boroughreeve for Salford. 

 In 1845 he was elected president of the Manchester Chamber 

 of Commerce. He was one of the royal commissioners of 

 the great exhibition of 1851. In 1858 he was elected M.P. 

 for Manchester, this honour was repeated at the general 

 elections in the years 1859, 1865, 1868, 1874. In 1869 he 

 was created a Baronet for his public services. He was 

 elected a member of this Society January. 26th, 18 47. 



Since the close of last Session the enlargement of the 

 Society's premises has engaged the constant attention of the 

 Council. To carry out their project, they engaged the ser- 

 vices of Mr. Clegg, of the firm of Clegg, Son, and Knowles, 

 as architect, and the contract for the building was let to 

 Messrs. Southern and Son ; the cost of the building, apart 

 from library fittings, to be £1,498. At the close of the 

 Session a Committee was formed to consult with the archi- 

 tect whenever occasion might require; in this commission 

 the Council beg to acknowledge the valuable services of Mr. 

 H. Wilde. 



The new building consists of a basement room, library, 

 and a room above. The new premises are lighted with gas; 

 they are also fitted with appliances for electric lighting, and 

 are now sufficiently advanced towards completion to enable 

 the members to judge how far the Council have successfully 

 carried out their undertaking. A Committee has been 

 appointed to consider to what additional uses the new 

 rooms may be put and to report to the Council thereon. 



An invitation was sent to this Society by the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science to send repre- 



