294 Asiatic Society. [May, 



the provision so made to it. By the amendment, it was intended to express 

 this as delicately and respectfully as possible. 



Sir J. P. Grant thought it right to state, that in voting for the amendment, he 

 did not mean to give an opinion upon the question of law. He did not think 

 that the amendment went to express any opinion upon the question of law, and 

 if it did, most certainly he neither would nor ought to vote upon it. It merely, 

 in his opinion, asked of the Government to give its consideration to the question, 

 and in case they should be of opinion that oriental literature had not a legal 

 and parliamentary claim under the words of the act, then to make a new and 

 specific grant of funds for this important purpose. 



Mr. W. Urant was not disposed to blink the question which the Society wish- 

 ed to bring under the reconsideration of Government, and did not see that any 

 disrespect was implied in urging, however strongly, such reconsideration. The 

 Society had for a long time believed, that a particular fund was appropriated by 

 Parliament to objects in a manner confided by the public to the Society's peculiar 

 care, and they now learned that this fund was no longer to be so applied. Tlje 

 Society was bound to undertake the cause of oriental literature, and to urge 

 Government to reconsider a resolution so inimical to it. And if upon serious 

 reconsideration, Government should continue to be of opinion, that no fund was 

 by law appropriated at present to its conservation, then to urge an application to 

 the proper quarters for a fund which should be so appropriated. 



Mr. Colvin asked Sir J. P. Grant, whether the words of the amendment 

 which he read did not at least by implication convey an opinion upon the ques- 

 tion of law. 



Sir J. P. Grant said, that in his opinion they did not, but that the words 

 in the Act of Parliament being such as they had that night been stated to be, the 

 amendment suggested to the Government, that it was a grave question, of which 

 it desired their reconsideration, and upon this view he was prepared to vote for 

 the amendment ; but the suggestion being made that it might be otherwise inter- 

 preted, he should not vote. 



The amendment was then put and carried. The revised memorial was once more 

 read through, and, on the motion of Mr. H. T. Prinsef, seconded by Babu 

 Rasumay Dutt, it was adopted nem. con. 



Read a letter from Captain Wade, enclosing one from the Chevalier 

 Ventura, acknowledging his election as an honorary member. 



Read extract of a letter from Lieut. A. Burnes, enclosing copies of desi- 

 derata in Botany from Professor Grahaji, and in Geology from the London 

 Society. 



Read a letter from Thomas Dickenson, Esq. Secretary to the Bombay 

 branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, acknowledging the receipt of M. 

 Csoma's Tibetan Dictionary and Grammar, and expressing the best thanks 

 of that Society for the same. 



Library. 



Read a letter from Edwakd T. Bennett, Esq. Secretary to the Zoolo- 

 gical Society of London, forwarding its proceedings for the years 1830 

 31, 32, and 33, with the 2nd part of the 1st volume of their Transactions' 

 for presentation to the Society. 



Read a letter received through M. L. A. Richy, from Monsieur Garcin 

 De Tassy, forwarding for presentation copy of a work entitled " Les 

 (Euvres De Wall, (Dewan-Wali,) recently published by himself in Hin- 

 dustani at the royal press of Paris. 



The Indian Journal of Medical Science, No. 18, was presented bv the 

 Editors. ' 



Meteorological Register for April, 1835, by the Surveyor General. 



The following books were received from the book-sellers. 



Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopedia — Simson's Roman Empire, vol. 2nd. 



■ , Germanic Empire, vol. 1st. 



Library of Useful Knowledge— Natural Philosophy, vol. 3rd. 



