1862.] 
431 
Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 
Carried unanimously. 
The nomination of the Hon’ble W. Grey to be a member of the 
Council, vice the Right Hon’ble S. Laing, was confirmed. 
The Council reported that they had appointed Colonel R. Strachey, 
a Vice-President, and Mr. J. G. Medlicott, a member of their body, 
in the place of Mr. Oldham who has left India. 
With reference to the announcement made at the last meeting, the 
Council reported that they had addressed the following letter to 
Government on the subject of the projected Government Museum :—- 
From the Secretary to the Asiatic Society oe Bengal. 
To E. C. Bayley, Esq., 
Secretary to the Government of India , 
Home Department. 
Dated, Asiatic Society's Dooms, Calcutta , June 18 th, 1862. 
Sir, — I am desired by the Council of the Asiatic Society to reply 
to your letter No. 2564, dated the 22nd May, informing the Society 
that His Excellency the Governor-General in Council is now prepared 
to consider the offer made by the Society in 1858, relative to the 
foundation of a public Museum in Calcutta, to which the Society’s 
collections might, under certain conditions, be transferred. 
2. The Council cordially thanks His Excellency in Council for 
the liberal proposals that he has made to the Society, and for the 
strong additional proof that he has now given of the interest the 
Government of India takes in the advancement of science by offering 
to establish a Museum in this city r to be maintained by the State. 
3. But the Council regrets that it is unable to give an immediate 
reply to the offers thus made. The resolution of the Society which 
authorized the Council to enter into communication with the Govern- 
t 
ment on this subject was passed in May, 1857, and the whole matter 
has now been in abeyance for several years. The Council therefore 
feels that no real decision can be communicated to the Government 
until the entire subject has again been fully brought before the 
members of the Society, and re-considered according to the regular 
forms of procedure. At the same time the Council, being generally 
disposed to concur in the propriety of carrying out in their main 
features, the proposals made in 1858, believes that it will be useful 
and will tend to an early decision of the questions involved in your 
letter if it states the impressions of its own body on these questions 
3 L 
