THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 273 



The first six months of the year 1841 formed a 

 very anxious time for the Society, for, having settled 

 down under its new conditions, and having, as was 

 supposed, complied with most, if not quite all, of the 

 recommendations of the Select Committee of the House 

 of Commons, the members were suddenly confronted 

 with a letter from the Chief Secretary, dated the 17th 

 of December 1840, conveying the Lord Lieutenant's 

 opinion that the recommendations had been but im- 

 perfectly carried out. A long correspondence ensued, 

 and the points to which special attention was called 

 were the continuance of the newsroom, and the prin- 

 ciple of an annual subscription not having been 

 adopted. Certain propositions were enclosed, the 

 adoption of which would prevent future collision 

 between the Executive and the Society. The Society 

 was to consist of two sections, having the house, 

 library, theatre, museums, &c, in common, the one 

 to promote chemistry, geology, mineralogy, &c, 

 and the other section agriculture, botany, arts, and 

 manufactures. The members of each section were to 

 be elected as hitherto, but, instead of £21 payment, the 

 admission fee was to be £i 9 with an annual subscrip- 

 tion of £i, or a life composition of £10. A number 

 of other propositions were submitted, but the above 

 named, and one, that no newspaper or newsroom was 

 to be permitted, were the principal. There was an 

 implied threat that the parliamentary grant might be 

 withdrawn, should the Society not see its way to 

 compliance. As a matter of fact, the Society never 

 considered these two recommendations of the Select 

 Committee as of such paramount importance, and never 

 thought the report so mandatory as to exclude all 

 exercise of judgment on its part in matters of detail. 

 The Government had not offered any opinion on the 



s 



