17 



they had taken in furtherance of this object, and embodied the 

 Report of a Committee on the subject which had been ap- 

 pointed a little more than a fortnight before the Anniversary 

 Meeting. On one point, that of locality, the Council then 

 reserved their opinion. It having, however, been the opinion 

 of a considerable majority of Members present at a Special 

 General Meeting of the Society held on the 3 1 st of May, 

 1834, that the acquiring of a Museum in a more central part 

 of London was preferable to building one in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the Gardens, the Council immediately ad- 

 vertised for houses or sites adapted for such a purpose, and 

 referred the proposals which were subsequently received to 

 the consideration of a Committee. 



The Council were aware of the difficulties attendant on 

 the acquisition, in the metropolis, of premises sufficiently ca- 

 pacious for even the temporary accommodation of collections 

 so extensive as those already in the Society's possession ; 

 and finding, towards the close of 1834, that the Museum 

 Committee, notwithstanding their continued exertions, were 

 not then prepared to report to them, they entered into an ar- 

 rangement for the continuance for a limited period of the oc- 

 cupation of the house in Bruton Street, the holding of which 

 would otherwise have terminated on the 25th of last month. 



More recently the Museum Committee has reported to the 

 Council and has recommended the purchase of two leasehold 

 houses, occupying a considerable site, in New Cavendish 

 Street, adjoining to Portland Place ; and the Council have 

 come to the decision that the acquisition of these premises is, 

 under all the circumstances of the case, desirable, provided 

 they can be entered upon and occupied for the Society's 

 purposes with security. The Council are using their endea- 

 vours for the removal of a difficulty which has manifested 

 itself, and propose, as soon as this shall have been accom- 

 plished, to complete the negotiation. To effect tlie purchase, 



B 



