410 - TIMEHRI. 
it with somewhat mingled feelings for two reasons, the 
first being that he believed firmly that the fa& of their 
being able to deal in literature caused the Society more 
or less to run off its true lines, and become, as a former 
President described it, a philosophical or literary institu- 
tion. The other reason why he spoke of the library 
with mingled feelings was because he believed that were 
it not for its existence they would probably have a large 
and important free public library, the absence of which 
cast areproach on thecolony. He had said it beforeand 
would say it again as long as he was conneéted with the 
colony, that there was no shortcoming more marked than 
the fa&t that this wealthy and important colony had not 
got a free public library. He believed that when this 
reproach was removed a beneftt would be conferred on 
the population generally. At the same time, as a member 
of the Society, he looked upon its library as something 
of which they might well be proud. In regard to the 
Museum he might inform them that some piétures from 
the “old masters” had been hung in the new gallery 
and several additions had been made to the colleétion. 
When Mr. Quelch returned the colleétion would be 
considerably increased by some interesting specimens 
which had been mounted for the World’s Fair. The roll 
of members had been increased by the addition of a 
hundred, but against this they had to record the loss of 
forty-four, leaving a net increase of fifty-six during the 
year. Among the losses by death they had to deplore 
‘several gentlemen who had held high places in the 
estimation of their fellow-citizens, including the Vene- 
rable Archdeacon Farrar, Honourable W. S. Turner, 
Revd. Joseph Ketley and Mr, Exley Percival, In 
