LEICESTER LITERARY SOCIETY. 301 



include all the four co-optatives recommended by the Society, become 

 practically the medium of communication between the Society and the 

 Museum Committee. 



The removal of the Society in 1849 to the rooms pro'S'ided for it in 

 the Museum was the beginning of a new era in its history. There was a 

 great accession of members, the numbers soon rising from the former 

 level of 90 or 100 to 150. 



The Lecture Eoom, however, would barely seat 200, and it became 

 necessaj-y to limit the privileges of members in introducing friends. 



For twenty years the Society kept steadily on its course, selecting its 

 annual Presidents alternately from opposite pohtical parties, though 

 prohibiting pohtical discussions on its platform ; giving every season, 

 fi'om October to April, a course of about fifteen lectures, every one of 

 them offered gratuitously mostly by members of the Society, and nearly 

 all of a highly creditable character ; and doing its part in a quiet way 

 towards maintaining the higher education of the town. 



But at last the interest and life of the Society began to flag, and the 

 members to fall off. Several Presidents made spasmodic efforts to 

 rekindle the general interest in the Society's work, but in 1870 a resolute 

 and experienced organiser, the Eev. Robert Harley, F.R.S., was elected 

 to the Presidential chair, and with remarkable skill and vigour 

 completely rejuvenised the Society. Under his guidance and advice 

 several plans previously projected or talked over were promptly carried 

 out. It was decided to introduce into the annual course of lectures sis 

 by professional gentlemen of the highest reputation, regardless of cost ; 

 to estabhsh an annual excursion in the month of May or June for the 

 members and their friends ; and to appoint a new officer under the title 

 of Corresponding Secretary, who should be the prime minister of the 

 President's government. 



These, with other minor reforms, were completely successful in 

 restoring the Society to health and progress. The number of members 

 increased annually. The professional lectures were inaugurated by 

 Professor Huxley, the largest pubhc hall in the town being taken for the 

 occasion and well fiUed. 



The first excursion was devoted to the Geology of Chamwood 

 Forest, under the able guidance of Mr. James Plant, F.G.S. 



Hitherto the Society has done httle in the way of publication. It 

 has issued an annual report in a pamphlet of from thirty to fifty pages, 

 and in 1855 a volume of 380 pages was pubhshed, containing in extenso 

 a selection of seven lectures recently dehvered before the Society. This 

 volume was presented gratuitously to every member, but the expense 

 was about £60, and the expei'iment was not continued. From a very 

 early period of its history, the pubhcation of its Transactions has been 

 debated at intervals, but the necessity of devoting its funds to the 

 Museum, and the feeUng that the strength of the Society did not he in 

 the direction of original research, always prevented it. In 1875, how- 

 ever, it was resolved to collect the early records of the Society's work, 

 and to pubhsh them in brief abstract, in parts, to be issued at intei'vals 

 imtil the cmTent date was reached. 



