432 
ANNUAL REPORT, 1891-92. 
factory, and hope that it may be further developed; with this view they bring 
forward proposition (No. 1) which will be presently laid before the meeting. 
The meeting will doubtless notice that the Committee as it now stands for 
ratification consists no longer solely of officers stationed at Woolwich; besides 
those appointed to fill vacancies the opportunity was taken of retaining on the 
Committee for their full period of three years two officers ordered away from 
Woolwich ; they were anxious to remain on the Committee and were thoroughly 
conversant with the work. 
The subject noted in proposition (No. 2) is one that the Committee feel neces¬ 
sary to bring before a General Meeting; for as the Rules now stand an officer 
might, by simply posting a notice on the Board at the Institution and securing a 
following of members to vote on his side, carry a Resolution that would be 
highly detrimental to the Institution. 
During last summer a new roof was put on the chief part of the Institution 
building and on opening out the Museum it was found that but little damage 
had been done to the specimens; it is found that the stands and cases are so 
close to one another that the Committee wish to extend the Museum; the only 
room available for this is that now told off as a chemical laboratory, and in pro¬ 
position (No. 3) the meeting will be asked to sanction its removal. The Com¬ 
mittee felt that, as the provision of chemical apparatus, tests, &c., was one of the 
original objects of the Institution, it was not in their power to carry out this 
change without the sanction of the General Meeting. 
With the provision of an adequate laboratory at the Artillery College the 
necessity for a private one in the Institution has disappeared. 
As to the fourth proposition the Committee merely wish to say that at present 
there are only 8 Special Honorary Members, 20 being allowed by the Rules ; 
and that if the meeting elects these distinguished gentlemen it will honour the 
Institution by so doing. 
The Committee would like to remind the General Meeting that they are most 
anxious to extend the Library and in order to do this they have asked for sug¬ 
gestions as to books recommended for purchase. They are glad to be able to 
state that officers at out-stations are beginning to borrow books much more freely 
and to appreciate this particular benefit of Membership of the Institution. 
Reference to the accounts will show a somewhat large expenditure on book¬ 
binding and purchase of books; the Committee report that the Institution has 
now a very good collection of Ruskin’s works, and that by the purchase of seven 
volumes of Gould’s works for £111, and the binding of four other volumes for 
£20, it now possesses a complete edition of Gould’s works value £1000. 
The new edition of “Kane’s List” has been published since the 1st April, 
1891 ; the Committee had some 25 copies not subscribed for, these they priced 
at £1 each and had no difficulty in selling. They hope to publish each year a 
set of Addenda and Corrigenda; those for the present year will be ready shortly. 
During the past year a series of pictures representing changes in the uniform 
of Officers R.A. from 1650 to date and of Officers R.H.A. from 1793 to date 
have been most carefully prepared by a member. He has studied every possible 
authority or picture on the subject, and has produced a work which may be relied 
on for accuracy of detail; his most kind offer of the use of these pictures to 
the Institution for preparing Plates has been gratefully accepted. 
The Committee have been most fortunate in having received some valu¬ 
able presents during the past year. Two of these deserve special mention, 
the first is a fine oil picture of Major Jas. Wightman, who was a Sergeant and 
Sergeant-Major of R.H.A. through the Peninsular War, and laid the gun at 
Salamanca that shot off Marmont’s arm : he was afterwards Sergeant-Major of 
Horse Artillery at Waterloo, where he himself lost an arm. The picture, 
believed to be by Landseer when a student, was presented by Major Wightman, 
