219 



1. For the preparation of Scientific Reports on the Irish Tides, Terres - £ $. d. 



trial Magnetism, Meteorology, &c, including cost of instruments, 



and grants to observers, 200 0 0 



2. Salary to an Irish Scribe, including cataloguing and printing Irish 



Manuscripts, 200 0 0 



3. Salary to a Museum Clerk, purchase of Antiquities, cost of making 



Casts and Photographs to be exchanged with other collections, . 200 0 0 



4. Salary to a Library Clerk, with cost of Books and binding, . . 200 0 0 



5. Printing and Illustrating the " Transactions 1 ' and " Proceedings," 200 0 0 



Total amou 

 of £500 



tint of required increase to present Annual Grant j £iqqq q q 



The Council hope that they may be permitted to lay before your 

 Lordships a feAV remarks on each of these heads of expenditure. 



First, as to the preparation of Scientific Reports on the Irish Tides, &c, 

 they beg to state that a regular system of tidal and meteorological ob- 

 servations round the entire coast of Ireland was instituted some years 

 since by the Academy, and continued for more than twelve months, at 

 very great expense. Eesults of great importance were thus arrived at ; 

 but, notwithstanding large assistance from individual members, it was 

 impossible to complete the reduction of the observations. It is the 

 opinion of the scientific members of the Council that it would be ex- 

 tremely desirable to institute a complete set of meteorological observa- 

 tions at inland stations ; but this and other similar researches the Aca- 

 demy, with its present resources, is quite unable to undertake. 



Secondly, as to procuring the services of an Irish Scribe : it is most 

 important that the Academy should have in its employment one or 

 more persons well acquainted with the ancient Irish language, to cata- 

 logue, transcribe, translate, and edit works of historic and antiquarian 

 interest in the Academy's collection of Irish Manuscripts, as well as to 

 copy for the Academy valuable Manuscripts which exist in other libra- 

 ries, at home or abroad. It may be remarked that Her Majesty's Go- 

 vernment have recently determined, on the recommendation of the 

 Commission of Inquiry into the Queen's Colleges, to suppress the only 

 offices set apart for the study of Irish literature in this country — 

 namely, the Celtic Professorships in those Institutions. It was the 

 opinion of that Commission (and the Select Committee have expressed 

 their concurrence in this view) that the objects which were sought to 

 be attained by the foundation of those Professorships may be better ac- 

 complished by providing the means of employing scholars in connexion 

 with the Academy, where a large body of Irish Manuscripts has been 

 brought together, and every appliance for study and research would be 

 available. It may be added that, as the Irish language is dying out, 

 the difficulty of obtaining the services of competent Irish scholars will 

 be constantly on the increase. 



Thirdly, additional aid is required for the safe keeping and im- 

 provement of the Museum. The value of the collection of Antiquities 

 in the possession of the Academy is universally acknowledged, and has 



