1869.] Proceedings of Hie Asiatic Society. 21 



dated even five years back, and which had been allowed to stand over, 

 never having been submitted even though asked for. 



It depends, therefore, entirely on the members themselves, how far 

 their advantages as members, can be increased. The Executive of the 

 Society have done what in them lay to promote their interests. 



In connection with the question of the publications of the Society, 

 I should fail in my duty did I not make known to the Society, that 

 I have had several, I might say numerous, appeals from members 

 of the Society, to induce a reversion to the old system of publishing 

 all papers, no matter what their subject, in the same number of the 

 Journal, doing away with the division into two series, as now, a change 

 first introduced in 1865 on the motion of Lt. Beavan. On the other 

 hand, other members are equally strenuous in urging the continuance 

 of the present system. I think much may be urged on both sides. 

 And were I content to anticipate only a continuance of the present 

 extremely limited amount of funds at the disposal of the Council, 

 for such publications, I would decidedly urge the abandonment of this 

 division of the Journal. I think w T e must confess, that the conditions 

 of the case are quite changed since first the Journal was issued. The 

 facilities of communication with Europe and America have been 

 immeasurably extended ; Societies have multiplied at home ; and 

 there is now, no difficulty whatever for any one to find a fitting 

 medium of publication for any researches he may undertake, the re- 

 cord of which is worthy of being published. A large and special 

 audience is thus at once insured ; and delay in making known his 

 results avoided. We cannot now, therefore, look forward to our 

 Journal being, as it has been in past years, the record of the life-long 

 labours of any member. Even the most zealous contributors to its 

 pages find it desirable to send to Societies at home their most valu- 

 able papers. And it is consequently difficult to maintain the high cha- 

 racter of the Journal, and the fitting publication in two distinct series of 

 the year's contributions. During the year just closed, only two numbers 

 of Part I have been issued ; simply because there were no more 

 papers to be printed ; while it may, I think, fairly be urged at the 

 same time that the Physical Science papers, in Part II, would have been 

 in no way injured or diminished in value, by the appearance, in the 

 same number, of the oriental papers. The attempt to form two 



