COUNCIL Foil 1838 . 
9 
beauty of St, Mary's Abbey. Professor Phillips,—in pro¬ 
posing to reconstruct the roof and interior of the ancient 
Gateway House, and thus to exonerate the Society from the 
trouble and expense of irregular tenancy,—has assured the 
Council that, in the restoration of this building for his future 
residence, its original architectural character shall be scrupu¬ 
lously respected. It is for this Meeting to sanction the grant¬ 
ing of a lease, on terms which may justify him in defraying 
the very considerable expense of this restoration. 
A great part of the other possessions of the Society on 
the Manor Shore is now usefully appropriated, but the 
management of this property will always be a source of 
some anxiety to the Council, so long as any part of it re¬ 
mains in almost accidental occupation. Eventually, it may be 
hoped, a part at least of this beautiful site, in connexion 
with the Hospitium, may be reclaimed for the enlargement 
of the gardens ; and in anticipation of such a measure the 
opinion of this Meeting will be requested on the propriety 
of at once changing the line of road into Marygate, so as 
to allow the including the Hospitium and Ancient Gateway 
within the precincts of the Museum Gardens, whenever the 
funds of the Society may be adequate to bear the cost. If 
the Meeting shall judge the time favourable for this prelimi¬ 
nary measure, there is no obstacle in regard to the purchase of 
property, for some zealous officers of the Institution have 
already obtained possession of several houses on the line of the 
proposed new road. 
It remains then only to state correctly the condition of the 
Society'sFinances. During the past year,several 
iiary disbursements have been made, mostly under the direction 
i 
