27 



The Committee, in presenting their Report to the Society, 

 have the gratification of observing, that notwithstanding the 

 high price of provisions, a great decrease of Expenditure has 

 been effected since the last Anniversary, amounting to no less 

 than £4306 16*. 6d., as compared with the year 1854, and to 

 about the same amount as compared with the average of the 

 last four years. 



Your Committee trust that the same system of economy 

 may be successfully continued, without in any way impairing 

 the usefulness and efficiency of the Institution, and thus en- 

 able the Council to bring the Expenditure once more within 

 the compass of the Receipts, which, during the past financial 

 year, has not, they regret to observe, been entirely the case ; 

 as the Expenditure incurred exceeded the Receipts by the sum 

 of £15915*. 8of. 



The Income, as compared with the very favourable year 

 1854, exhibits a decrease of £2812 l7s. Od. The principal 

 items being — 



Admission Fees £280 



Compositions £470 



Admissions to Gardens .... £2345 3*. 6d. 



The Admission Fees and Compositions are, however, equal 

 to the average of the last seven years ; and the Admissions to 

 the Gardens, even in this reduced state, are rather above 

 than below it, if the extraordinary year of 1851 is excepted. 



The first impression made by so large a decrease in. the sum 

 paid for Admission to the Gardens by the public, would have 

 caused some anxiety for the future, had not the Committee 

 satisfied themselves by tracing the source whence this loss has 

 chiefly arisen. They found that nearly the whole of the defi- 

 ciency occurred in the earlier months of the year, and must 

 in a great degree, if not entirely, be attributed to the unfavour- 

 able state of the weather at the time of the holidays at Easter 

 and Whitsuntide, the receipts during the summer and au- 

 tumn months having nearly equalled those of 1854. 



In reference to the large expense incuri'ed in printing the 

 Society's Proceedings (without which the general decrease of 

 Expenditure would have been considerably more important), 

 the Committee have to observe, that this expenditure, amount- 

 ing to £936 'Js. Id., has been necessarily incurred in conse- 

 quence of the desire expressed at the last Anniversary that 

 the publications, which had been permitted to fall into arrear, 

 should be effectively brought up to the current date. This 

 has now been done, and the Committee congratulate the Fel- 

 lows that there is every prospect of the publication of the 



