27 



The Council having latterly set forth so ably in their 

 Annual Statements the financial position and policy of, the 

 Society, the Committee of Audit do not find it necessary to 

 enter into a lengthened Report, and will therefore notice 

 briefly the chief points that have arrested their attention 

 during the examination of the Accounts of the Society. 



In the first place, they notice with regret the great falling 

 off in the Income, which, compared with 1850, presents a 

 decrease of £2154 15*. 2d., or of £13,650 4*. 8d., if compared 

 with 1851. The most prominent item of this deficiency is in 

 the receipts at the gates, which present a decrease, as com- 

 pared with 1850, of £2533 5s. 6d,, or of £14,319, as com- 

 pared with 1851. As that year, however, must always be 

 considered an exceptional one, it will be as well, for the sake 

 of comparison, that the year 1850 should be quoted through- 

 out, in order that a more reasonable conclusion, as to the 

 actual state of the Society's prospects, may be arrived at. 



There is a slight increase in the " Annual Subscriptions," 

 as compared with 1851, but a decrease, if compared with 

 1850, of £37. The "Compositions" have, however, largely 

 increased this year, being £240 over the year 1851, and the 

 same amount as the year 1850. An increase is also shown in 

 " Garden Sales" of £388 12s. 9d., as compared with 1851, but 

 a decrease of £20 0*. 3c?. as compared with 1850. In connec- 

 tion with the above, the Committee note that there appears 

 to be a sum owing to the Society of £133 Is. Od. for the 

 year 1852, and of £89 195. 6d. belonging to previous years: 

 they do not think it advisable that the Society should esta- 

 blish the precedent of giving credit to purchasers and keep- 

 ing open their accounts; they strongly recommend that all 

 objects sold from the Gardens or Museum, should, if possible, 

 be paid for on delivery, or at all events before the expiration 

 of the current year. 



