REPOET. 



The general success of the institution has been fully sustained during the 

 past year, as will be seen from the statistics subjoined. Every department 

 appears to be fulfilling its purpose in contributing to the intellectual pro- 

 gress of the community. 



ART DEPARTMENT. 

 The Art Department claims the first notice. The success of the annual 

 exhibitions of pictures held during two successive years naturally drew 

 attention to the want of a suitable building where a permanent gallery of 

 art might be collected, and the annual exhibitions held without the 

 necessity of disturbing the arrangements of the Museum for several months 

 in the year, as has hitherto been the case. An attempt was made without 

 success during the past year to gain the aid of the Council towards the 

 erection of such a building, and subsequently offers of contributions were 

 made by private individuals to the extent of about £7000 for the same pur- 

 pose. The public, however, did not come forward in response, and the whole 

 project was on the eve of a collapse, when the Mayor, Mr. A. B. Walker, 

 nobly came to the rescue, and immediately after his election to the chair on 

 the 10th of November announced his intention of devoting the sum of 

 £20,000 to the erection of a building for an Art Gallery. 



The Council, in accepting this munificent proposal, unanimously resolved 

 that the building should be called "The Walker Art Gallery." The site 

 has been fixed on the open land to the east of the present Library and 

 Museum, and the plans are now in course of preparation by Messrs' 

 C. Sherlock and H. H. Vale, the architects appointed by the Mayor. 



The Committee congratulate the town on the solution of the difficulty, 

 by this generous proposal. 



