IX 



Other Members. 



Me. H. Andbew, 

 Eev. John Caene, M.A. 

 Mk. Williams Hockin, 

 Mr. John James, 

 Me. a. p. Nix, 



Mr. AlEXANDEE PATXLIi, 

 Mr. G. F. PiEMFET, 



Me. Eobeets, 

 Mr. W. Tweeby, 

 Me. S. T. Williams. 



3. — That the cordial thanks of this Meeting be given to those 

 gentlemen who have favoured the Society with Papers or other 

 Communications in the course of the year, and also to the Donors 

 to the Library and Museum. 



4. — ^That the thanks of this Meeting be given to Mr. Smirke, 

 for the ability with which he has presided over the proceedings of 

 this day. 



THE COUNCIKS REPOET. 



In presenting to you the customary retrospect of the j)ast 

 year, your Council have the satisfaction of being able to regard 

 it as a period of progress rather than stagnation, though not 

 marked by unusual success. In relation to the future, some 

 points in our present arrangements will be submitted to your 

 consideration. The Income of the Institution has slightly ex- 

 ceeded the Expenditure ; the balance in the hands of the Treasurer 

 having been £29. lis. 4d. for 1866, and being £34. 2s. Id. for 

 1867. The Mortgage Debt is now reduced to £245. 19s., and the 

 yearly charge on this account to about £10. However satisfactory 

 the comparison is between this state of our affairs and that ^hicli 

 existed thirty years ago, when the debt was £1500, and the 

 interest on it £60 a year, it is much to be wished that every 

 liability of this kind should be cleared off; and contributions are 

 still requested to the special fund opened last year for this purpose. 



By far the heaviest item of expence has been incurred on ac- 

 count of the Journal, the total expenditure on which exceeds 

 £100, whilst the proceeds of its sale are not much more than a 

 quarter part of that sum. Your Council cannot feel warranted 

 in advising a continuance of so large an outlay under this head. 

 The experiment has been fairly tried for four years, and, as far as 

 the quality of the publication is concerned, there has been much 

 reason for satisfaction. The contents of the Journal, and the man- 

 ner in which it has been edited, have been highly approved by 

 very competent judges beyond as well as within the limits of this 

 County j and it cannot be doubted that it has materially increased 



