2 Nicholson, Inaugural Address. 



science as well as representatives of the Corporation. 

 What the Manchester Corporation refused was sought by 

 the Salford Corporation shortly afterwards, but there 

 were some technical difficulties in the way. 



In 1866 began the negotiations which resulted in the 

 Museum being transferred to the Owens College. At that 

 time the Society had the choice of several schemes — (i) to 

 sell part of the propert)' and collections, move into smaller 

 rooms, and perhaps join the Literary and Philosophical 

 Society ; (2) to accept the offer made by the Salford 

 Corporation to take the Museum on the same terms as 

 were refused by the Manchester Corporation ; (3) to 

 divide the collection amongst neighbouring museums and 

 societies ; (4) to hand the Museum and funds over to the 

 Owens College. The last plan was adopted. The details 

 finally settled were that the property of the Society should 

 be conveyed to the Owens College in trust, charged with 

 the payment of the liabilities of the Society, i^5, 000 for the 

 Building Fund of the College, £1,500 to the Literary and 

 Philosophical Society for the promotion of the study of 

 natural history in Manchester, and the balance was to be 

 an endowment for the Museum. There were unavailing 

 protests by E. W. Binney and others against the transfer. 



The Museum was first housed in rooms in St. Ann's 

 Place from 1821 to 1824, when it was removed to rooms 

 in King Street, in a building where the Reform Club now 

 stands. In 1835 it was transferred to a more permanent 

 home, a building erected for the purpose on laud in Peter 

 Street and Mount Street, where the Y.M.C.A. now stands. 

 In this building, which was enlarged in 1850, it remained 

 until the Society's dissolution. The Museum was opened 

 there on May i8th, 1835. 



In its early days the Museum was a private institution 

 for the use of its proprietors, who were allowed to give a 



