250 A HISTORY OF 



the members. 5, Five to be vice-presidents, chosen 

 yearly. Ten members of the Council to retire yearly, 

 and not to be re-eligible for a year. 7, Lists of the 

 committees to be prepared by the Council, and sub- 

 mitted to the members at a general meeting. 8, 

 Officers to be proposed by the Council, and nominated 

 by the Society. 9, The accounts to be audited and 

 published yearly. 1 1 , Committees to make annual 

 reports. 15, Purchases of books, &c., to be limited to 

 publications suited to a literary and scientific institu- 

 tion ; no newspapers to be taken in the house. The 

 above named points included all that was then in issue 

 between the Government and the Society, which finally 

 led up to the Special Commission of 1836, and the 

 enquiries made under it. Great jealousy prevailed 

 among the members at any interference by the Govern- 

 ment with the private regulations, which they con- 

 ceived the Society had full power to make under its 

 charter. 



In connection with these propositions, the Dublin 

 Evening Mail of the 24th of February 1836, contained 

 an attack on the Lord Lieutenant, in the shape of a letter 

 from Dr. Anthony Meyler, which attempted to involve 

 the Society an attempt which it altogether disavowed. 

 In its reply, the Society said that His Excellency's pro- 

 positions had only been considered, and amendments 

 had been merely proposed. The Society agreed that 

 election was to be by ballot, and fees were to remain as 

 at present. A Council as a governing body it could 

 not agree to, and accordingly propositions Nos. 5, 6, 7, 

 8, 12, and part of 3, could not be entertained. In 

 reply, His Excellency regretted that the Society had 

 given him so little help, and said that the Government 

 would now find it necessary to take into consideration 

 the question of the renewal of the annual grant. On 



