196 
After the Society's application proceedings were delayed for a 
few years pending the report of the Gresham University Com- 
mission, but in 1897 the whole question was thoroughly thrashed 
out by a Treasury committee, consisting of Sir Henry Longley, 
purposes of its original foundation, and the extent to which those 
purposes are within the range of the scientific requirements of 
the present day. They came to the conclusion that the place is 
still fitted for botanical uses. With an airy and open position, it 
is well set up to the south, and, if the ground shows signs 0 
8 
soil, they were informed, is distinctly superior for botanical 
purposes to that of Kew Gardens, which, by the way, it is 
be devoted to serious scientific and educational purposes, and not 
given up to the perambulators of the nursemaid or the fantasies 
to make any permanent appropriation of funds for such an object, 
they foresaw that the fact of its being maintained out of local 
tion were undertaken by a Government Department, Parliamentary 
would not only be free from popular influences likely to impair 
the educational value of the garden, but would also represent both 
the Imperial and local elements of the original trust. E 
e arrangement proposed on these lines by the committee was 
considerably modified because the trustees of the London parochial — 
charities found themselves able to take a much larger share in the 
administration of the garden than was at first expected. In the 
