THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 105 



appeared that ^5000 had been paid to the Duke, and 

 possession had been delivered to Mr. Wilson on behalf 

 of the Society. The premises and ground on which 

 stood that part of Kildare street and Leinster street 

 that led from Leinster House to the house of Mr. 

 Hamilton Rowan in Leinster street, were held under 

 a fee farm lease from the Molesworth family, subject 

 to £150 a year. Some of the ground which had been 

 built on was held under leases from the Duke, which 

 produced £64 a year above the head rent, and it was 

 thought advantageous to purchase this profit rent from 

 his Grace for a sum of ^1000. 



A select committee, of which Francis Johnston, 

 Alderman Thorp, and Mr. Gandon were members, 

 was appointed to decide on necessary alterations in 

 the house, and Mr. Baker, master of the architectural 

 school, was engaged to superintend repairs and altera- 

 tions. The premises were insured up to ^20,000. 

 The committee recommended that the picture gallery 

 should be used as the library, and that six rooms on 

 the first floor should be assigned to the department of 

 natural history. On the ground floor, the ball-room 

 was to be the bust-room ; the dining-room the board- 

 room ; and other rooms were assigned for newspapers, 

 the secretary's office, as well as committee and house- 

 keeper's rooms. It was finally arranged, however, 

 that on the ground floor, No. 1 in a certain plan 

 was to be the board-room ; 2, conversation-room ; 

 3, ante-room ; 4, secretary's office and committee 

 room ; 5, housekeeper's room ; 6 and 7, model 

 rooms. On the first floor, the gallery was to be the 

 library, and rooms nos. 2 to 7, museums. Up to 

 ^600 was to be spent on the house and concerns, and 

 enquiries were set on foot as to the best mode of 

 erecting a laboratory and theatre, with apparatus rooms 



