adopted so long as this impoi'tant element remained in 

 suspense. During the past year, however, considerable 

 progress has been made towards a final adjustment of 

 this vexata qvcestio. Agreeably to the promise made in 

 last year's Report, a Special General Meeting of the So- 

 ciety was held at Willis's Rooms on the ^Oth of May last, 

 " to take the whole subject of the Museum into consi- 

 deration, for the purpose of determining upon its ultimate 

 destination." The Meeting was very numerously attend- 

 ed ; a Report, containing a history of the Museum ques- 

 tion up to that period, and various statistical retui'ns con- 

 nected with it, was presented by the Council ; and after 

 an ample discussion of the whole subject, the following 

 resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority : — 

 " Resolved, 



" That it appears to this Meeting that the Society 

 cannot divest itself of its scientific character, so essential 

 to its dignity and respectability, without violating the 

 Charter of Incorporation. 



" That the Museum is a necessary and intrinsic part 

 of the Scientific Establishment, which it is essential should 

 be perpetuated, the origin of which is contemporary with 

 that of the Society itself, which was formed by the muni- 

 ficence of our original founders, enlarged by the dona- 

 tions of numerous correspondents in all parts of the world, 

 and heretofore invariably recognised by every successive 

 Council as an indispensable object of the Institution. 



" That independently of its scientific character, and the 

 number and rarity of the specimens it contains, which 

 alone have caused the Society to be known and respected 

 in foreign countries, it would be highly derogatory to 

 the dignity of the Society and injurious to its best inter- 

 ests, to part with a Collection, in many departments the 

 most complete in Europe, the formation of which has 

 been a labour of fifteen years, which has been valued in 

 money at £11,000, but which could not be again accu- 

 mulated for a much larger sum. 



" That numerous Fellows have been induced to join 

 the Society on the strength of its scientific reputation, 

 many of whom would retire were it by any means to di- 

 vest itself of that character ; that 499 other Fellows have 

 compounded for the Annual Subscription by payments 

 to the amount of no less than £12,8C0, on the collective 

 security of the Society's whole property ; and that any 

 abstraction from the entire amount of that property would 

 be a breach of faith if made without their concuiTence." 



