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MONDAY, MAY 8, 1865. 

 The Very Bev. Charles Graves, D. D., President, in the Chair. 



"William J. O'Donnavan, LL. D., was elected a member of the Aca- 

 demy. 



"W. H. Hardinge, Esq., read a paper, "On an Unpublished Essay on 

 Ireland, by Sir William Petty, A. D. 1687." 



The President read the following letter from the Under Secretary 

 of State for Ireland : — 



" Dublin Castle, May 6, 1865. 



" Sir, — Eeferring to your letter of the 22nd February last, I am 

 directed by the Lord Lieutenant to acquaint you, for the information of 

 the Council of the Royal Irish Academy, that a communication has been 

 received from the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, stat- 

 ing that they have had under consideration the Memorial which accom- 

 panied your letter. 



" Their Lordships are desirous of giving due weight to the opinion 

 expressed by the Select Committee of the House of Commons in favour 

 of the Academy : but they are not prepared to recommend to Parliament 

 to make Grants in favour of the Museum and Library of the Institution ; 

 while, as regards Meteorological Science, sufficient provision appears to 

 be already made by the establishments under the Admiralty and the Board 

 of Trade ; and their Lordships have thought it right to confine themselves 

 to adding to the provision now made in the Estimate in aid of the pub- 

 lication of the ' Transactions' of the Academy a sum of £200 specially 

 for encouraging the study of ancient Irish MSS., as materials of his- 

 tory, by forming Catalogues and Translations of them, and making them 

 available for public use. 



" Their Lordships add, that the Estimate for the Royal Irish Aca- 

 demy has accordingly been increased from £500 to £700. 



" I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, 



" Thomas A. Larcom. 



" To the Very Rev. Dean Graves.' 1 '' 



