THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 259 



Mr. Weld described the origin, objects, and con- 

 stitution of the Society, detailed the history of the 

 premium system, and the Society's dealings with manu- 

 facturers, and with persons engaged in agriculture ; 

 also its dealings with regard to employment of the 

 poor, reclamation of bogs, planting, fisheries, the fine 

 arts, the Leskean museum, and the Botanic Garden. 

 His evidence also dealt with the library, the statis- 

 tical surveys of counties, and the Transactions of the 

 Society, and he reviewed the lectures and scientific 

 meetings. 



Mr. Hutton was particularly examined as to the 

 working of the committees, and as to membership, and 

 the exclusion of the Most Rev. Dr. Murray, which he 

 conceived to have been brought about by party com- 

 bination, and as an expression of political feeling ; also 

 as to the parliamentary grant, the officers of the Society, 

 and the lectures. 



Mr. C. W. Hamilton gave evidence as to the agri- 

 cultural side of the Society. He also spoke of the 

 violence of party feeling in it at the time, and explained 

 that such umbrage was taken at the interference of 

 Government, that a majority of the members would 

 certainly oppose the changes indicated. 



Mr. Griffith was examined as to the management 

 of the Society, committees, &c., and specially as to 

 the value of the lectures. He said that men like Sir 

 Humphry Davy were invited to lecture on the ground 

 that they might explain their own discoveries. 



Dr. Harty gave evidence as to the special objects 

 of the Society from its foundation, and as to the 

 high standing of large numbers of the members ; also 

 as to its various professors, and he added some interest- 

 ing remarks on Arthur Young, and his visit to Ireland 

 in 1776-7. 



