THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 247 



ported by the public purse was considered objection- 

 able. In addition to the sum fixed, an annual sub- 

 scription, they thought, might be arranged. On this, 

 the Society communicated with the Government, 

 stating that the suggestions of the committee conveyed 

 to them would be adopted as far as practicable. In 

 answering some of the points, the Society showed that 

 the lectures were principally attended by young people 

 and students, who could not afford to pay. As a 

 matter of fact, the experiment of charging for admission 

 to the lectures had been tried, but, being a total failure, 

 they were again made gratuitous. According to the 

 charter, in cases of admission, the Society was bound 

 to proceed by election. In thirty years only four 

 persons had been rejected, and since 1800, 739 had 

 been admitted. It was very difficult to collect annual 

 subscriptions, and other societies were falling into decay 

 from the same cause. A theatre to seat 500 persons 

 had before that time been erected, the drawing schools 

 were most successful, and the museum, which was in 

 reality the National Museum of Ireland, was visited 

 by 30,000 persons during the year. 



Lord Downshire wrote to the Society on the 9th of 

 March 1830, recalling the fact that, in the year 1800, 

 the agricultural department had been handed over to the 

 newly established Farming Society, which had under- 

 taken the duties until 1828, when its Parliamentary 

 grant was withdrawn and that Society came to an end. 

 He pointed out how seriously the want of an efficient 

 society for the improvement of agriculture was felt in 

 the province of Leinster, and thought it would be well 

 worthy of consideration whether the Society might not 

 again take up this subject, especially as Leinster House 

 and the premises around afforded every accommoda- 



