TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
COUNCIL.
18th January, 1899.
The Council have to report a year of quiet but steady progress. The numbers of Members on the Society's roll is now 389, as against 377 in the year previous, showing a net increase of twelve in spite of many severe losses sustained during the year. Chief among these is one which is shared in common by the country at large in the person of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. The Society has also lost in the Earl of Strafford a former President, whose administrative ability and courtesy are gratefully remembered by all who served with him on the Council; and in Mrs. Murray Aynsley an indefatigable traveller and valued contributor to the Society's Transactions.
A gratifying feature of the increase of membership is the fact that it is largely due to the accession of public libraries and other institutions, both English and foreign. Special efforts in this direction, due to the initiative of Mr. Hartland, were made in the spring, and met with a fair measure of success. The actual number of libraries and institutions on the Society's roll increased from 64 in 1897 to 75 during the last year.
The financial position of the Society has been materially improved. The balance sheet accompanying this Report will show that, after making due provision for the extra
