36 



The Committee o^ Manusckipts would resi^ectfully submit the fol- 

 lowing Annual Report : — 



The collection of manuscripts is now very large and valuable, consisting 

 of original Charters, Commissions, Account books. Court papers, Foreign 

 papers and manusci'ipts, Almanacs with written notes, &c., besides consider- 

 able printed matter, which comes more appropriately under the charge of this 

 committee than to any other now established, and which consists of rare his- 

 torical tracts, maps, engravings, photographs, &c. These are now deposited 

 in vai'ious places, many being arranged in drawers in the Historical room 

 and the ante-room to the library, while others are stored in the attic. 



The collection is rapidly increasing in size and importance, but, with our 

 present limited accommodations, there is no room or place suitable for even 

 the safe keeping of that already accumulated, and it is impossible to have 

 the collection so disposed as to be of practical use. This is much to be re- 

 gretted, for there are many very valuable documents both for antiquarian 

 curiosity and for historical research, especially with regard to the history 

 and biography of this vicinity. 



If these papers, some of them coming down from the earliest Colonial 

 times, and many furnishing details and items of information relating to indi- 

 viduals, public institutions, &c., which may become of the greatest impor- 

 tance to the future antiquarian, could be placed where they could be easily 

 referred to, and at the same time be safe from fire, a great advantage would 

 be derived from this department of the Institute, which, we regret to say, is 

 now impossible. 



The committee, therefore, earnestly recommend that some method be 

 devised to accomplish this desirable object, and that a fire-proof addition to 

 the present building be erected for the deposit of valuable historical relics, 

 and they are further able to state, that, should such an addition be made, they 

 have the assurance that a large number of valuable portraits and family 

 relics, as well as many extremely valuable manuscripts, would be made 

 over to the Institute, and they trust that the matter will receive the serious 

 consideration of the Society. 



Wm. p. Upham, 



For the Committee. 



The Publication Committee submit the following annual report : — 

 They are happy in being able to state that the success of the published 

 Proceedings of the Institute, for the last year, has been most encouraging. 

 In their last annual report this committee referred to the fact that the Messrs. 

 Triibner & Co., of London, in their letter of the 27 Jan. 1865, had expressed 

 a desire to act as agents of the Institute, for the circulation of the Proceedings 

 in Europe, and had requested that the title page should bear their imprint, in 

 connection with those of Messrs. Westermann & Co., and Wm. Wood & Co., 

 of New York. Since that date arrangements have been made through the 



