XXXVl Presidential Address. [February, 1911. 
value of the library, the risk of fire, if inflammable matter were 
stored in the shops, or if irresponsible lodgers were permitted 
to occupy a part of the building, was felt to be one that should 
not be incurred. 
his scheme was therefore rejected. But at the same time 
it was felt that it would be inadvisable to spend the whole of 
the Society’s invested funds upon even so laudable an object ; 
since the interest on these funds supplies a considerable portion 
of the revenue necessary for the due performance of its work. 
So greatly have conditions changed within the last hundred 
years, that it would no longer be possible to erect a building, 
even of much smaller dimensions than that which we at present 
occupy, for the comparatively small sum that it cost. Yet it 
was felt that if we were to build at all, our house of learning 
should be worthy of its purpose ; not only an ornament to this 
great city, but if possible, such as to afford accommodation for 
the other Societies which from time to time are founded in 0 
midst. Financially, the Society is in a sound enough position 
to have carried out this purpose without external aid. The 
membership is now,—thanks to a very large extent to the ac- 
cession of members belonging to the profession of medicine, 
which has followed upon the institution of a special Medical 
Section,—greater and increasing in a greater ratio than ever 
before in the history of the Society, and our invested funds now 
amount to about two lakhs of rupees. But, for reasons whic 
I have already given, the Council was unwilling that these 
funds should be depleted, and it was resolved that the Govern- 
ment of India should be asked to advance a sum adequate for 
the purpose, to be repaid by instalments. The Council were 
confident that this appeal would meet with a generous response, — 
because the preservation of a library such as ours 18, without 
doubt. a matter of Imperial concern, and their anticipations 
were not unfounded. It is true that the Government of indie 
have not seen their way to advance the whole of the sum asked 
for, on the terms proposed by the Council; but they have most 
generously offered a free grant of Rs. 40,000, thus relieving the 
Society of the necessity of making provision for the repay ment 
of a loan, and this offer has been gratefully accepted. he 
Government of Bengal, who were also approached on the 
subject have, I regret to say, merely signified their inability to 
accept the proposals of the Council, and have made no 0 
assist us, so far as the building fund is concerned. 
to us as compensation for a strip of our property, which the — 
k 
Corporation wishes to acquire in order to widen Par 
will enable us to erect and furnish a building, if not of 
ornate character, yet adequate for its purpose and 
be the home of such a body as ours. It is to be hoped 
