371 
to its original designation. At present any subject might be 
brought forward in the Papers of the Society, by any 
member, and as there were ladies present they were at 
liberty to introduce, if they liked, crotchet work and cookery 
for discussion. The Society had been in existence from 
sixteen to eighteen years, and a great variety of subjects 
had during that period been brought forward, agriculture, 
chemistry, and every other branch of science having in turn 
been discussed. Mr. Briggs then adverted to the pecuniary 
position of the Society, remarking that the funds were not 
in the most prosperous condition, many parties who had 
originally enrolled themselves as Members not having paid 
up their subscriptions for five or six years, and which could 
not therefore be obtained. The subject had been considered 
in the Council of the Society of altering the rate of sub- 
scription. That rate at present was 13s. per annum, 10s. 6d. 
being the subscription, and 2s. 6d. for the Reports. It was 
proposed to alter the rates to -5s. per annum, Reports 
included, in hopes that by reading those reports the number 
of members would be increased five or six-fold. It was 
rather a dangerous experiment to try ; still he hoped, if it 
was finally decided to be so, it would induce some parties to 
join, such as bottom stewards and people of that kind, who 
would not otherwise be likely to become members. The 
Society, being a West Riding Society, had held its meetings 
first in one town and then in another, and it was six or seven 
years since they had met in Wakefield, on which occasion 
they had still fewer present than on the present one, there 
being only eleven persons present, who met in the ante-room. 
They had many honourable as well as honorary members 
belonging to their Society, but they did not bring much 
grist to the mill. Liebig was a member, as was also Dr. 
Buckland, and they had other names of celebrity attached to 
the Society. Formerly they had a Curator and a Museum, 
c c 2 
