38 
a tour in some of the Colonies. Such efforts not only promote 
the first objects of the Society, and increase its poweis o 
action, but also tend to make the Society, its design, and it 
publications, more widely known. 
15 “ The People’s Edition.”— The vast amount of unsound, 
and in many cases avowedly infidel, cheap literature on phi o- 
sophical and scientific subjects, now m circulation, espe- 
cially in the larger towns of the United Kingdom, induced 
the Council in 1874 to begin the issue m a cheap form o 
single copies of some of the papers in the , Journal ; since then 
six papers have been issued in this form, entitled The 
People’s Edition.” The plan has been carried out, by deciding 
beforehand upon the paper to be so issued, and, when it was 
printed for the Journal, striking off extra copies *P° n 
paper. For the sale to the public of the People s Edition 
(and of the Journal generally) a scheme of bookseller- 
agents in fifteen leading towns of the United Kingdom, having 
been matured, has been in full operation since August last: 
the results have in some cases exceeded anticipation. JNeaii) 
half the Institute’s accumulated stock of single papers has 
been issued to these Agents, some of whom have begun to 
include our publications in their own circulated list of 
books. Although the profits have been small, by reason of 
the low scale of prices necessarily adopted for the 1 eople s 
Edition” when starting the scheme, yet the importance of the 
step taken will be apparent. Altogether about 20,000 copies 
of the papers which appear in the Journal of the Transactions 
were published in a separate form during 187o, and the 
demand for them appears to be increasing. 
16. From time to time the Institute receives requests from 
clergymen, missionaries. Scripture-readers, &c., for grants of 
the single papers, for circulation amongst certain classes of 
the population (working-men in manufacturing, mining, an 
other districts— especially those districts m which lecturers 
or literature advocating views tending to scepticism are 
common). The smallness of the “ People s Edition lund 
(founded by a non-member) has not allowed of more than 
a few such requests being complied with; but should this 
fund receive further support,* the Institute will be better 
able to meet any urgent application of the kind. 
* The donation of £50 from Mr. J. E. Howard, F.K.S., to this fund was, 
according to stipulation, expended in issuing a largo edition of his paper on 
Professor Tyndall’s Belfast address. 
