( cl ) 



neither has it ever been shown how such a measure could in any 

 way be conclucive to the establishment of such jS'ational Museum in 

 DabKn. But a suggestion, shadowing forth some vague project of 

 an amalgamation between the Eoyal Irish Academy and the B-oyal 

 Dublin Society and Eoyal Agricultural Society of Ireland, and con- 

 tained in a Letter to Dr. Steele, Assistant Secretary and Registrar of 

 the Royal Dublin Society, from Major J. F. D. Donnelly, an Official 

 of the Science Branch of the Science and Art Department of the 

 Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council on Education, was com- 

 municated to the Council of the Academy on behalf of a Deputa- 

 tion of the Council of the Royal Dublin Society, which suggestion the 

 Council of the Academy (as your Petitioners conceive, wisely and pro- 

 perly) declined to entertain. 



9. Your Petitioners humbly submit that the action of the Lords 

 Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury, in so tranf erring the charge 

 of said vote, having been moved by the said letter of 2nd May, con- 

 taining such erroneous representations as the grounds for inviting 

 their Lordships to such transfer, was improvident, and ought to be 

 reversed. 



10. Tour Petitioners submit, as a further reason for the reversal 

 of their Lordships' action, that such transfer, following on the expres- 

 sion of your Petitioner's desire that they should not be subjected to 

 the Science and Art Department, and on their refusal to entertain 

 such project of amalgamation thence emanating, wears the appeai'- 

 ance of having been moved by that Department for purposes of re- 

 taliation. 



11. Tour Petitioners fui'ther humbly submit that, after the said 

 vote had been passed, and in part accounted for, the administration 

 thereof could not regularly be placed ia hands other than those 

 designated in that behalf when your Honourable House voted the 

 same, and your Petitioners refer to the Act 29 & 30 Yict. c. 39, s. 22. 



12. And further, that even supposing same could be regularly done, 

 the eifect of said order being to transfer one of the functions of Her 

 Majesty's Irish Government to a Department of the State ia London, 

 without the dii'ect sanction of Parliament, such order is of dangerous 

 example, and contrary to good public policy. 



13. Tour Petitioners, considering that not only are the grants of 

 public money voted to kindred scientific societies in England and Scot- 



