34 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Fxs. 
and scientific periodicals for inspection and daily reference on the 
part of our members. Thus it has on this account alone become 
matter of public concern, that the existing state of things should 
not be prolonged. Moreover, by the Museum Act of 1866, the 
Council of the Society was in a manner charged with the duty of 
seeing that the building to be erected by the Government under 
the terms of that Act for the reception of the Collections should be 
fit and proper for its object. And the period prescribed by the 
Legislature for the completion of this building extended only to 
23rd March, 1871. When, then, in the early part of the past 
year it was seen that the Museum building works remained at a 
stand still, and no sign was given by the Government of any im- 
mediate intention to resume them, it became incumbent upon the 
Council, as well on account of the interests of the Society as by 
reason of their statutable obligations, to press the exigency of the 
case upon the attention of Government. Actuated by this double 
motive, honourable alike, I venture to think on either part, the 
Council wrote to the Government of India, and received in reply a 
letter, which appearing as it does to ignore or set aside the origi- 
nal agreement made with the Society, has been to your Council 
matter of grave concern and regret. I will not, however, dwell 
upon this unpleasant incident, for after all, it may have been less 
due to design than to gaucherie and maladroitness in the State 
Secretariat. 
I am sorry to say that the correspondence between your Coun- 
cil and the Government has led to nothing definite. The Council, 
in their reply to the communication of which I have spoken, 
while they remonstrated against the attitude which the Govern- 
ment assumed towards them, expressed their readiness to do all in 
their power to assist the Government out of its difficulties. To 
this no answer has been returned to us. And the matter therefore 
stands thus: The Government is under a statutable contract with 
the Society to complete the Museum building by the 23rd of next 
month, so far as to render it fitted to receive the extensive natural 
history and archeological collections which should then be trans- 
ferred to the Museum ‘Trustees. By the same contract, on the 
completion of the building, the Society is to have a portion thereof 
