[ xvii ] 



adequatelr represented, to advise the First Commissioner of His Majesty's 

 Works or the J)irector of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on all questions 

 of a scientific nature arising out of the administration of the Gardens. 



We therefore recommend the establishment of such a Board. 



In view of the continued and large assistance which is given by the Representation 

 Royal Botanic Gardens to the Colonial Office, to the Foreign Office in respect of Grovemment 

 to the several British Protectorates, and to the India Office, we suggest that ^j'epartments on 

 one member of the proposed Board should be nominated by each of His 

 Majesty's Secretaries of State for the Colonies, for Foreign Affairs, and for 

 India. 



On the view that the number of nine would be most desirable for the total Proposed consti- 

 number of members, we suggest that to the above-mentioned three there be tution of the 

 added three members nominated by the Trustees of the British Museum, two -^'^^'^'^'^'■y Board, 

 by the Royal Society, and one by the Crown. Further, since the collections 

 at the British Museum are as a matter of fact administered by the Standing 

 Committee of the Trustees rather than by the whole body, we recommend 

 that the nomination of the three members of the proposed Board should be 

 placed directly in the hands of the Standing Committee. 



The powers and duties of such an Advisory Board, as we would propose Duties of the 

 to call it, should, we think, as also the relations of the Director (who should. Board, 

 we are of opinion, always be a man of adequate botanical eminence) on the 

 one hand to the Board, and on the other hand to the First Commissioner of 

 Works, be defined by Treasury Minute : — 



We are of opinion that some such regulations as the following should be 

 •contained in such a Treasury Minute : — 



1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Board, at which shall be laid Annual meeting. 

 before it a report by the Director addressed to the First Commissioner on the 



scientific work carried on at the Royal Botanic Gardens under his directions 

 during the preceding year, and also on the scientific work in progress and 

 in prospect. 



2. The Board shall make to the First Commissioner a report of the Report of annual 

 proceedings of the annual meeting, and shall furnish the Director with a ™eetmg. 



copy of that Report. 



3. The First Commissioner shall have power to summon a meeting of Meetings other 

 the Board at any other time that it may seem to him desirable to do so, and ^^^^ annual. 



it shall be his duty to summon such a meeting when required to do so by a 

 requisition in vn:'iting signed by any three members of the Board. 



4. One member of the Board shall be appointed by the Crown to act as Appointment of 

 chairman of the Board. In his inability to attend a meeting of the Board chairman. 



the chairman shall appoint another member of the Board to act as his 

 deputy. 



5. The Board shall have power to make representations to the First Scope of work. 

 Commissioner on any question connected with the scientific work of the 



Royal Botanic Gardens. 



6. The First Commissioner shall have power to refer to the Board fo r Power of 

 advice thereon any question connected with the Royal Botanic Gardens. reference. 



7. The Director shall receive a summons to attend each meeting of the Director of Kew 



Board. to be summoned 



to meetings. 



We may add that in our opinion it would be desirable that the Director Ofl5cial adviser 

 of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, should be recognised as the official on botanic 

 adviser to His Majesty's Government on all questions involving botanic questions. 

 science. 



We have now to deal with an aspect of the' botanic collections of the The public exhi- 

 British Museum on which we have not yet touched. So far we have been bition at the 

 considering those collections as an instrument of scientific research ; but ^"tish Museum. 



5086. 



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