40 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Jan. 



Finance Committee will need to exercise most rigid supervision over the 

 expenditure, to keep within bounds and preserve the Society from debt. 

 The actual condition, it appears, is about as follows. We have Rs. 

 3,487 in the Bank of Bengal, a small sum of Rupees 38 in hand ; Go- 

 vernment secerities to the extent of Rupees 2000, and an uncertain 

 amount, said to be about Rupees 9,070 of outstanding dues ; making 

 a total of Rupees 14,598. Great part of this no doubt will be gathered 

 in in time, but some of it I fear must be written off to Profit and 

 Loss. Against this, we have debts of Rupees 7,450, the main items 

 being for printing ; Rs. 4,974 to one Press. This leaves us free from 

 difficulties, and though not rich, we are certainly not embarassed by any 

 immediate pecuniary anxiety. By strict supervision on the part of the 

 Finance Committee, and economy in the Council, I trust that we shall 

 be able to continue without getting into debt, and with the increase 

 of Members which may be anticipated, I hope next year may see 

 the Society more prosperous tl^an it has been. 



I should omit an important part of my duty, were I to fail, on this 

 occasion, to express the thanks that are due from the Society to the 

 Honorary Officers ; to Mr. Blanford, and to Mr. Ormsby who officiated 

 during Mr. Blanford's temporary absence — to Dr. J. Anderson, the 

 Natural History Secretary ; to Babu Rajendralal Mittra the Philo- 

 logical Secretary ; to Colonel Gastrell, the Honorary Treasurer, and to 

 Mr. Medlicott who acted during Col. Gastrell's absence. To the exer- 

 tions of those gentlemen, and especially to those of the General Secretary 

 Mr. Blanford, we mainly owe the Society's prosperity. Their labours 

 are very arduous, and must encroach seriously on such leisure as may 

 be left by their public duties. How successfully these good offices have 

 been performed, is proved by the present state of the Society ; and in its 

 name, I now express our warmest acknowledgements. In recognizing our 

 debt to the honorary officers, I must not forget our obligations to 

 others. The Assistant Secretary and Librarian, and his Assistant 

 have conducted their duties with much zeal and energy as well as 

 with advantage to the Society, and therefore merit our best thanks. 



The Establishment generally has, I believe, given satisfaction to the 

 officers of the Institution. 



I must now conclude, as I fear I have already trespassed too long 

 on your patience. I can only beg of you to overlook the imperfect 



