upon the Lecture Boom, on account of the room having been 

 frequently used by Musical Societies ; so that the burdens on 

 the Institution continue to increase, while the receipts, owing 

 to various causes, are constantly diminishing. The small favour- 

 able balance on the Revenue Account which appeared in the 

 Eeport for 1889 has during 1890 entirely disappeared, and a 

 balance on the wrong side has now to be reported. This has 

 been chiefly owing to the diminution in the subscriptions and to 

 some increase in the necessary repairs of the building. Previous 

 Eeports have shown how seriously the Library Department has 

 been handicapped by the establishment in near proximity of a 

 Free Library, supported by the taxation of the ratepayers at 

 large, and in a district where the poor can derive but little 

 advantage from it. They have also referred to the tendency 

 especially observable in Bristol to set on foot new rival under- 

 takings, by which the existence of the older ones is seriously 

 imperilled. We have seen how the Bristol Athenaeum, after some 

 years of struggle, has been at last obliged to succumb, and how 

 little sj-mpathy its closure appears to have evoked. If a similar 

 fate should overtake our Association, the city of Bristol would, 

 it is believed, incur from the scientific world at a distance a 

 degree of reproach which would not soon be forgotten ; and we 

 think it must be admitted that such odium would in that case 

 be richly deserved. 



FINANCE. 



It will be observed that the expenditure for the year 1890 

 lias exceeded the income by the sum of £51 14s. 4d. In the 

 years 1889, 1888, and 1887, the expenditure was less than the 

 income by the sums of £23 13s. 2d., £24 0s. 8d., and £15 17s. 4d. 

 respectively. The expenditure of 1890 was £1,005 15s. 10d., 

 that of 1889 having been £948 8s. 9d. The excess for 1890, 

 which amounts to £57 7s. Id, will be found to have occurred 

 chiefly in augmented expenses under the heads of Library, 

 £1G 12s. lOd. ; Museum, £8 10s. 3^d. ; Repairs, £9 10s. yd. ; 



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