52 A7i7iouncemeiit by the President. [May, 



tlie Society should lend certain of the pictures and other vnluable objects, 

 that belong to it or are in its care, to the Trustees of the Victoria 

 Memorial Hall for public exhibition there in accordance with the 

 sclieme of that institution. And I will now explain to you what bas 

 been settled, and the reasons wbich have led the Council to its decision. 



You are aware tbat primarily tliat building is intended to com- 

 memorate Queen Victoria; but secondarily it "is intended to contain 

 a collection of scalptures, paintings, arms, manuscripts, engravings 

 and relics of every description — provided tbat they possess eitber 

 conspicuous individual interest or historical value — connected with 

 notable events or with the careers of remarkable men in the history 

 of India in modern times." It is thus part of the scheme that the 

 Hall should perpetuate the memory of the distinguished men in India, 

 who added lustre to Queen Victoria's reign or who inaugurated move- 

 ments tbat culminated in her reign. The Hall will become a National 

 Gallery of British India. It is not intended, however, that the Hall 

 should commemorate solely the glory of the British period, but also 

 that it should perpetuate tbe fame of the preceding dynasties in modern 

 India and of the great men wbo attained distinction under their rule, 

 by exb.ibiting memorials of them and their times. 



The Asiatic Society of Bengal, though founded before the late Queen's 

 reign, maintained and increased its reputation daring her reign ; audits 

 activity during her reign cannot well be dissociated from its foundation 

 and early researches. Tbe Society might therefore of itself expect (or 

 even claim) that memorials of its most distinguished members should 

 fittingly find a place in the Hall, and His Excellency the Viceroy has 

 anticipated such an expectation by inviting the Society to lend (if a 

 gift should be out of the question) certain of its treasures for exhibition 

 in tbe Hall ; and he suggested the following objects — 



two portraits of its founder Sir William Jones (one of him as a 

 youth and the other in middle age) (Nos. 67 and 41) ; 



the portrait of Warren Hastings (No 65) ; 



the bust of James Prinsep, the decipherer of the old inscriptions 

 (No. 19) ; and the old cannon of Mir Jumla (No. 2). 



When considering His Excellency's suggestion, the Council fully 

 appreciated the honour which he proffered the Society in allowing it 

 a part in such a noble national institution, and have discussed the 

 matter with the fullest sense of its importance to the Society. 



Tbe Society's objects of art consist broadly of two classes; first, 

 objects that it has acquired and that belong to it absolutely; and 

 secondly, those that compose the ''Home Bequest." The Society 



