228 TIMEHRI. 
political controversy. In the statistics necessarily in- 
volved in the answers the Society resorted to the best 
anthorities in the colony to render them perfeé in regard 
to the real state of British Guiana and its inhabitants 
of all denominations. In January the Society was re- 
quested to lend its rooms for a meeting in conneétion 
with the establishment of a railway on the East Coast, 
and accordingly a meeting was held on the 22nd of the 
following month. The proceedings of the meeting and 
the prospe€tus had been published and the subscription © 
in the colony was in progress. Measures had at the 
same time been taken to obtain the co-operation of those 
gentlemen in Europe who were immediately conneéted 
with the prosperity of the colony. Should that desirable 
undertaking be carried into effeét, the benefit that would 
result from railways must prove incalculable. A new light 
would dawn upon this fertile land—its ample resources 
would be made apparent—its natural advantages be 
turned to account—and it would be proved to the world 
at large that no bounds need be set to immigration. 
To the commercial portion of the Society the monthly 
reports of imports kad been very valuable and would 
become more so as the Society grew older, from their 
easily affording comparisons with previous years. Asan 
appendix there would be found a table shewing as far as 
could be ascertained, the exports and imports of the 
previous ten years, which they trusted would also be found 
valuable. It was the intention of the Society to publish 
such tables annually. 
They would observe that the Society’s reading room was 
likely to afford a rational and profitable place of recreation 
after business hours to the numerous young men employed 
