THE BOOK OF THE EOYAL 



NJ 



the Society a portion of tlie stream of wealth which was expected 

 to flow tlirough the Exhibition. 



The Covxncil, in deaUng witli this matter, had always to keep 

 in mind that, however vigorous and prosperous the Society 

 might appear to be, it was still but a convalescent : its health 

 was restored, but its stamina were not confirmed. The new 

 Garden and Establishments could only be maintained at a very 

 large cost, to which the subscrijjtions of the Fellows as yet were 

 inadequate. It therefore became, not a matter of choice, but of 

 necessity, to supplement the subscriptions of the Fellows by 

 contributions levied from without. 



For these reasons the Council resolved to treat this as an 

 exceptional year, and to give the public access to the Garden 

 at a cheap rate during the period of the Exhibition, reserving 

 one day in the week (Sunday) absolutely for the Fellows' own 

 use, and making the charge for admission on Fridays and 

 Saturdays so high as practically to come to the same thing. It 

 was also thought that, as many of the visitors to the Exhibition 

 would wish, if they could, to avail themselves of a quiet entrance 

 to it through the Garden, particidarly on occasions when crowds 

 were expected, some arrangement should be come to with the 

 Commissioners of the Exhibition for giving mutual access to it 

 and the Garden. A general arrangement was in consequence 

 made with them by which the two bodies agreed that there 

 should be mutual entrances between the Garden and the Exhi- 

 bition (there were three at first, and latterly four) ; that 

 persons visiting both the Garden and the Exhibition should be 

 charged for the Garden only half the price which was charged 

 for their admission if they did not visit the Exhibition ; and 



