THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 285 



Kane ; and the Society named Lord Talbot de Malahide, 

 the Right Hon. Francis Blackburne, Mr. F. J. Sidney, 

 and Mr. William Fry, as a joint committee for manage- 

 ment of the museum of Irish industry, the Society's 

 lectures, and the lectures in provincial towns, which 

 marked an important change in the functions and 

 ancient practice of the Society. This system continued 

 until the year 1865. 



Alterations were made in the by-laws, and annual 

 members henceforth might become life members on 

 payment of fifteen guineas. In 1856, the by-laws 

 were further amended, and the Council was in future 

 to consist of the seven vice-presidents, the two secre- 

 taries, the chairman, and one other member of each 

 standing committee, and of nine members to be elected 

 from the Society. 



John Francis Waller, LL.D., was elected secretary 

 in 1855, in the room of Dr. Harrison, and Mr. 

 E. R. P. Colles, librarian, in place of Mr. Patten, 

 resigned. In 1856, Mr. Weld, vice-president, who had 

 been a member of the Society for fifty-five years, and in 

 1857, Mr. Henry Kemmis, another vice-president, died. 

 Mr. Foot was elected a vice-president, and in this 

 year Mr. George Johnstone Stoney became a member 

 of the Society. 



Dr. Stoney's is one of the greatest names connected with 

 the Society, for which, during the period that he held office 

 in it, he laboured with unwearying devotion. He conducted 

 with the Government negotiations of a most intricate char- 

 acter, prior to the museum, the Botanic Garden, the lib- 

 rary and art schools being taken over ; and the charter and 

 statutes of 1 88 1 were his work. Stoney was born in the King's 

 county in 1826, and in 1848 was appointed astronomical 

 assistant to Lord Rosse at Parsonstown, where he made 

 many observations, and communicated with learned societies, 

 one of his notable papers being on "Shadow Bands in 



