45 



The Committee of Auditors congratulate the Society upon 

 the continued improvement in its finances, the Income, not- 

 withstanding the unfavourable weather during the Holidajs, 

 and the absence of any extraordinary novelties in the Mena- 

 gerie, having exceeded £14,000, while the Expenditure only 

 reached £12,195, being £2156 less than the amount of pay- 

 ments in the previous year. In consequence of this successful 

 result, the Council were able to increase the reserved Fund 

 by the purchase of £1500 Stock, raising it to £4500. The 

 Auditors notice this improvement in the finances with great 

 satisfaction, as it has been effected without any diminution of 

 the efficiency of the Garden Establishment, which, it is only 

 just to observe, has been maintained in the most admirable 

 state of neatness and order. 



Although the total number of Visitors in 1858 was not 

 quite so great as in the year 1857, there is no decrease of the 

 interest felt by the public, as, notwithstanding the comparative 

 failure of the weather at Easter and Whitsuntide, the Visitors 

 on Mondays show an increase of upwards of 2000, exclusive 

 of the number of Charity Children admitted gratuitously, who 

 amounted to 18,600. 



The Committee consider the present financial position of 

 the Society as deserving especial notice, and have pleasure 

 in calling the attention of the Fellows to the fact, that the 

 Liabilities on the 31st of December were only estimated 

 at £850, whilst the Balance at the Banker's amounted to 

 £1420 16*. 3d., leaving a further surplus of £570, which 

 added to the investment of £1449 in the funds, gives a clear 

 surplus of £2019 on the operations of the year. 



The steadiness of the Income for the last nine years, from 

 1850 to 1858 inclusive, during which period the gross receipts 

 have been no less than £146,000, is a most satisfactory proof 

 of sound management, and presents a most encouraging con- 

 trast to the nine years immediately preceding, viz. from 1841 

 to 1849 inclusive, in which the Income gradually declined 

 to little more than half the amount to which it was raised 

 in 1850, and at which it has been maintained from that 

 time. 



The Committee entirely concur with the view of the Council 

 as to the propriety of applying the surplus of the past year 

 to the increase of the reserve fundj, which they trust will never 

 be reduced below £5000 as a minimum. 



