296 A HISTORY OF 



land and buildings. There were other important 

 considerations which need not be referred to here. 



When the draft bill was submitted to the Society, 

 it was found that provisions to which the Society 

 attached great importance were not included in it, 

 notably those relating to accommodation in Leinster 

 House, and to the shows. The Government was 

 asked to rectify the omission, but this it declined to 

 do, pointing out that the better plan would be to leave 

 these details to be dealt with under the clause in the 

 bill that enabled the Society and the Government to 

 enter into agreements, which would have the same 

 force as if they had been included in the bill. The 

 Society consented to this course, on receiving an 

 assurance that these considerations would be embodied 

 in agreements to be entered into as soon as possible 

 after the bill had become law. 



In the forecast of the intentions of the Govern- 

 ment conveyed in Lord Sandon's letter of February 

 the 9th, 1876, it was proposed that the Royal Irish 

 Academy should be transferred to Leinster House, 

 " where ample space may be found for both the Royal 

 Dublin Society and the Royal Irish Academy, with 

 well adapted and dignified rooms for their meetings, 

 and for the library of the latter Society." 



Shortly after this letter was written, the Science 

 and Art Department suggested that many difficulties 

 would be removed if an amalgamation could be 

 effected between the Royal Dublin Society and the 

 Royal Irish Academy. At the same time it was 

 indicated that if the Royal Dublin Society could effect 

 an amalgamation with the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of Ireland, the Government would provide for the 

 agricultural shows in the Phoenix Park. 



The creation of a body analogous to the Royal 



