General Meeting, May 15th, 1852. xvii. 



now unobserved or unknown. An Electro-plating machine, 

 which could be purchased for very little here, would enable 

 the Committee to multiply casts of coins, &c, specimens of 

 which might be submitted to Numismatic and other Societies. 

 Your Committee cannot close their remarks in connection 

 with the expenditure of the Society, without expressing the 

 hope, that as Ceylon so plentifully abounds in materials from 

 which an institution like the present could select so much 

 that is important and curious, that so now will all its Mem- 

 bers unite vigorously in the effort to advance its objects and 

 its importance ; to bring to light the wonders of this unex- 

 plored and interesting Island ; and to shew ourselves worthy 

 of our connection with the Parent Society, in our indefatigable 

 investigation of what was so grand in the past, and is so at- 

 tractive in the present. To realise completely some of the 

 advantages which may surely be anticipated, it is the opinion 

 of some Members of your Committee, that as much as possible 

 should be encouraged, the formation of Provincial Committees, 

 affiliated with and subordinate to the Committee at Colombo, 

 with which they would be brought into systematic and con- 

 tinued correspondence. Upon the expediency of this measure, 

 the Committee refrain from giving any opinion, deeming that 

 it had far better be decided by the vote of the Society itself. 

 In connection with their own immediate transactions, the 

 Committee have to refer to the Report of two Sub-Commit- 

 tees, marked F. and G., and attached to the proceeding which 

 they directed, so far back as 16th February 1852, to confer 

 with the members of the Athenaeum, to see if the two Socie- 

 ties might not unite, to a certain extent, in the furtherance of 

 views and objects common to both ; and also whether a more 

 commodious room might not be procured for the Society. 

 On the first of these points, your Committee are aware of a 

 great diversity of opinion among their own Members ; and 

 therefore they gladly avail themselves of the occasion of a 

 General Meeting to bring the question before it. On the 



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