45 Geo. III. 



Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer (by His 

 Majesty's Command) acquainted the House, 

 that His Majesty, having been informed of 

 the contents of the said Petition, recom- 

 mends it to the consideration of the House. 



Then the said Petition was brought up, and 

 read ; setting forth, that, by the munificence 

 of Parliament, the Sloanian and Harleian Col- 

 lections of Books, Manuscripts, Records, Coins, 

 Medals, Gems, and other rare and valuable 

 Articles of Science and Literature, have been 

 heretofore purchased at the public Expence* 

 and placed as an Addition to the Cottoman 

 Library, under the care and management of 

 the Trustees of the British Museum; and that 

 the Collection of Etruscan, Grecian and Roman 

 Antiquities, belonging to the late Sir William 

 Hamilton, was afterwards purchased by Par- 

 liament in like manner, and vested in the 

 same Trustees, to be placed in the same ge- 

 neral Repository ; and that many large and 

 valuable Benefactions of Books, Coins, Medals, 

 and Specimens of Natural History, have since 

 been received, from time to time, so as nearly 

 to occupy the whole of the building assigned 

 for those purposes; that when His Majesty 

 was graciously pleased to direct that the 



