408 
The present amount standing to the credit of the Cunningham Fund 
in the New Three per Cents, is £1775 12s. 1d. 
So far with respect to the Financial History of the Fund. 
In examining the way in which the proceeds of the fund haye been 
expended in premiums and medals, we haye found it impossible, from 
the accounts of the Academy or from the minutes of the proceedings of 
the Council, to ascertain with certainty in every instance of the award 
of a prize or medal, whether the amount of the one or the cost of the 
other was supplied from the Cunningham Fund, or from the general 
funds of the Academy. We have, therefore, thought it better to give a 
detailed history of a// the honorary rewards given by the Academy 
since its foundation, for scientifie, literary, or antiquarian papers or other 
writings, from whatever source the cost of those rewards may have been 
defrayed. 
The first suggestion which appears in the Proceedings of the 
Council of a prize to be offered by the Academy for an essay occurs 
under the date of June 5, 1790. It was then proposed that a premium 
of £20 shall be given for the best essay upon the <‘ Analysis of the 
Lucan Waters.” And there is added on the Minutes the following 
query :—‘‘ Whether an inquiry after the best dyeing ingredients to be 
found in this country be not a fit subject for a premium.” But no 
action seems to have been taken in consequence of this proposal or 
uery. 
5 The Council on July 10, 1790, resolved, in compliance with the 
trusts of the Cunningham Bequest, to announce in the public journals 
that a premium of £20 would be given for the best experimental in- 
vestigation on any subject of natural philosophy, with a particular 
preference to researches tending to the improvement of arts and manu- 
factures; the premium to be adjudged on the 16th of March in the fol- 
lowing year. 
Three papers were sent in to compete for the prize— 
1. Entitled ‘A Review of the Properties of simple Earths, and the 
uses ‘to which they may ‘be applied in the establishment or use of 
Potteries.” 
2. “Discovery of a mode of making Pearl-white.” 
8. ‘‘Description of two new Standards for Weights and Mea- 
sures.” 
The prize was adjudged to the third essay, provided that on trial 
of certain apparatus described init, it. should appear that by means of 
this apparatus.an accurate standard of weights and measures might be 
constructed. But no further mention appears either of the apparatus 
or of the essay. 
On October 8, 1791, an anonymous letter was laid before the Council, 
from which the following is an.extract :—‘‘ It has occurred to.me ‘that - 
it would serve the interest of Ireland, ifthe Irish Academy would adopt 
the scheme of giving premiums in money or medals for essays on subjects 
which tend to promote the happiness of the people, as practised by 
Bede i a 
