AMUAL EEPOKT FOE 1859. 



In submitting the Fifth Annual Report, your Council has the 

 pleasing duty of congratulating the Institute on the satisfactory state 

 of its affairs and prospects. 



During the past year 38 members have been duly elected, of whom 

 33 were ordinary and 5 honorary members. 



The roll of membership for 1859, including life and honorary 

 members, and those whose subscriptions are not in arrear, as well as 

 those names appearing on the suspense list, comprises a total of 208. 



With respect to the financial condition of the Institute, your 

 Council has much pleasure in referring you to the Treasurer's Balance 

 Sheet, showing that although a sum exceeding .£3000 has been 

 expended in building, furnishing, &c, we have still a balance of 

 .£180 lis. Id. to our credit. Upwards of £300 have been ex- 

 pended in the publication of our "Transactions" during the current 

 year, about double what was spent for the same purpose last year. 

 This arises from the increasing number of papers read before the 

 Institute, and considered worthy of publication, and from the elabo- 

 rate workmanship required in the illustrative engravings. 



Your Council believes that the "Transactions" for 1859 and 

 1860 will involve an expenditure under this head alone which will 

 nearly absorb the ordinary revenue, but it is confidently anticipated 

 that the resources will be supplemented by the continued liberality 

 of the Government. 



During the present session twelve ordinary meetings of the Insti- 

 tute have been held, and three special or adjourned meetings. At 

 these meetings twenty-six papers have been read, and your Council 

 has after deliberation decided upon printing twenty of them in the 

 "Transactions" for 1859. Lengthened abstracts of others will 

 apjDear in the "Proceedings." 



The Institute is now in correspondence with seventy-six kindred 

 societies in Europe and America and in the neighbouring colonies. 



