16 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society* [Jan. 



There must be good and sufficient reasons for this, and it is 

 worthy of careful enquiry to ascertain, if possible, what these may be. 



Again, during the past year, the Society has lost by retirement no 

 less than 20 members ; during the preceding year, 20 ; in 1866, 19 ; 

 in 1865, 25. I confess I always listen to these announcements of 

 retirement with great pain, accompanied by a guilty consciousness of 

 having myself, as an individual element in the management of the 

 Society, contributed to the result. I think it may be assumed as a 

 fact, that no one will willingly abandon a position which he con- 

 siders to be advantageous. There have doubtless been frequently 

 private or pecuniary reasons for such ; but in by far the majority 

 of cases, I fear we cannot admit that these have been the cause of 

 the numerous retirements. And we must, I am convinced, seek 

 for a more deeply seated, a more vital reason, and admit that the 

 faults are to a large extent internal in the Society. Have we done 

 what in us lay to render the fact of association with us an advantage 

 to the members themselves ? I would not for a moment desire to over- 

 look the consideration, that many join the Society from a desire to 

 promote its efforts and advance its researches, without seeking any 

 individual advantage. We gladly acknowledge that there are many 

 such. But unquestionably the majority of our members do, on joining 

 this, or any other Society, look forward to receiving some advantage 

 in return for their contributions, and do calculate also whether these 

 advantages are worth their cost. Now what advantages of this kind 

 do we offer to our Members ? All obtain the Journal and other 

 publications of the Society, resident members have also the opportunity 

 of being present at the meetings of the Society, and of freely 

 borrowing books from the library. 



First then as to our Journal. I have no scruples in confessing, although 

 I do so with very great regret, that its appearance has been for many 

 years past too irregular, too unpunctual, and uncertain, to enable 

 members even to know whether they would ever receive it or not. 

 Numbers of one year issued late in the succeeding year ; others 

 issued without the plates referred to in them, which plates have 

 appeared in some subsequent year's publication ; these, gentlemen, 

 have, I am ashamed to say, been the rule rather than the exception. 

 Would any of us continue our subscription to a periodical issued in this 



