IS 69.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 19 



that it has not been in our power to do as much as we could have 

 wished. The Council have been fully impressed with the vast import- 

 ance of this portion of the Society's efforts, but the absolute necessity 

 of pursuing a system of the very strictest economy has prevented the 

 outlay of a single rupee that could be avoided. The allotment of 

 money sanctioned out of the income of the Society at the commence- 

 ment of the year has been very slightly exceeded (under sanction of the 

 Finance Committee and Council), but there was much, very much, that 

 we desired to do, very much that we were anxious to add to our library 

 but could not. For the coming year, the Council suggests an allot- 

 ment of money somewhat larger than that of last year and, I hope, 

 that a good deal may be done to supply deficiencies, and to add to our 

 stock of books. I trust also that the close of the year may not again 

 come round, without some progress being made, in what is so seriously 

 required, a new catalogue of our Library &c. 



But if we cannot claim that the Members of our Society receive a 

 full and fair equivalent for their contributions, I would suggest to the 

 Members to consider how far this may be due to themselves, as well as 

 to the managing body of the Society, and how far they have it in their 

 own hands to remove this cause of complaint. And first, I would ask 

 the authors of papers to bear, in mind the costliness of illustrations, 

 and the tediousness and delay in their preparation ; and to reduce these, 

 therefore, to the minimum extent, sufficient for the just elucidation of 

 their arguments, or descriptions. And I would also ask them to 

 diminish, if possible, the demands on the time of our officers, by 

 always submitting with their papers an abstract, embracing the prin- 

 cipal points referred to or discussed, and giving a general view of the 

 argument of the writer. No one can prepare such abstracts so 

 effectively as the authors themselves, and this is the only way in which 

 a certainty of nothing being overlooked can be attained. 



And to the Members, who are not contributors to our Journal, I 

 would say, that they must be aware that such carefully illustrated pub- 

 lications cannot be issued, without considerable cost. I would appeal 

 to them to save their executive officers, who thus voluntarily devote 

 much time and labour to their service, without any remuneration other 

 than the consciousness of doing their duty, from the harassing and 

 wearying necessities of considering carefully,how every expenditure may 



