Report of the Standing Committee, for the year 1869–70.

The Standing Committee would hereby respectfully offer their Report of the transactions of the Society during the year just ended, and the present condition of the Society, in accordance with its By-laws.

The Society has so quietly pursued its way that there is but little to mark its history the past year.

The regular monthly meetings have been held, and these have been well attended, and with increasing interest. In addition to those held at the rooms there have been several social meetings. The first was the regular June meeting, which took place at the residence of the President of the Society, in Brookline, and the October meeting was held at the residence of our Associate Member, Amos A. Lawrence, Esq., in Longwood. Both of these were rendered the more interesting from local historical reminiscences. Two social evening meetings have been held. In December last, on the anniversary of the Landing of the Pilgrims," the Society met, by invitation, at the house of our Associate Member, Robert M. Mason, Esq., where papers of an historical nature were read; and in February was a meeting at the house of the Treasurer, Mr. Frothingham, in Charlestown, on which occasion he read an able paper on the "Declaration of Independence." Your Committee think these meetings have a good influence in keeping up the interest of the members, and trust that arrangements may be made to repeat them.

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The duty of examining the Library has been performed as required by the by-laws, and the Committee have the satisfaction of reporting the same in excellent condition, every volume being found in its place. For a more particular account of its increase and its wants, we refer to the report of the Librarian, which will be laid before the meeting.

The whole number of volumes, including the Dowse Library,

is nearly 19,000, and the number of pamphlets exceeds 31,000.

The necessity of more shelf-room still exists; but we trust the time is now near when, by the remodelling of the building, these pressing wants will be supplied.

The Committee have frequently had the subject of the alteration and improvement of the building occupied by the Society under consideration. The lease of the lower story will expire in one year from this time, when it will be desirable to commence immediately upon the improvement. Within the past month your Committee have caused plans to be drawn by an architect, with a view to ascertain the best mode of effecting the object, and also the probable cost. With only rough estimates it is supposed that the building can be enlarged and made in every way convenient, and, so far as possible, made fireproof, for about $22,000. This sum, we trust, could be raised by subscription, and thus leave the present resources of the Society untouched.

For the present state of the finances the Committee refer to the report of the Treasurer, always clearly and definitely shown, and which will in this case exhibit satisfactory results.

At the last annual meeting our Resident Roll consisted of ninety-eight members. Four members have since been elected, and the list now contains the names of ninety-nine members. Three Resident Members have died during the year. Five Corresponding Members and one Honorary Member have been elected, while six Corresponding Members and one Honorary Member have passed away.

A new volume of Proceedings has been issued during the year, and another is in progress in the form of serial numbers, four of which are now printed, and the transactions brought down to the present meeting. Two volumes of Collections are now in press, one of which is a continuation of the valuable Winthrop Papers, and the other a volume of Aspinwall Papers relating to Virginia. A volume of great historical

interest and value has been printed, being the course of Lectures delivered by the members of the Society at the Lowell Institute during the winter of 1868-69. Several papers of interest have been read at the stated meetings of the Society which have been printed in the Proceedings.

The Cabinet is steadily increasing in interest and value, the details of which will be laid before you in the report of the Cabinet-keeper.

The Committee are happy to congratulate the Society upon its continued prosperity and usefulness. At no time has it stood higher or been more useful to the community than now. Its archives, always open to the public under its regulations, are consulted more than ever before, and supply rich material in aid of historical research. While we hold the rank of being the oldest historical society in the country, may we strive to be among the most useful and influential.

For the Committee.

WILLIAM G. BROOKS, Chairman.

The Report of the Treasurer.

GENERAL ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL, 1870.

Massachusetts Historical Trust-Fund

John Wilson & Son, printing Lectures delivered before the

269.57

2,003.41

$7,051.21

$325.90

2,200.00

685.00

$3,210.90

Hon. John A. Lowell, for Thirteen Lectures before the Lowell

$3,210.90

80.00

80.00

578.00

40.00

1,881.55

4.20

703.41

118.63

1.50

353.02

$7,051.21

The undersigned who were appointed a committee to examine the accounts of the Treasurer of the Massachusetts Historical Society for the year ending April, 1870, have compared the vouchers with the entries and find them correct, and the balances on the ledger as follows:

MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL TRUST-FUND.

The accumulation of income to September 1, 1868, was $1,492.86, making the amount on which to cast the interest from September 1, 1868, $4,492.86.

The Proceedings for 1866-67 and 1867-69 were printed from the income of this Fund, and another volume is passing through the press.

For an account of the "Dowse Fund," and of the "Property of the Society," see the Treasurer's account of last year, no change having taken place.

THE INCOME.

The income of the Society consists of an annual assessment on each resident member of seven dollars, or, instead, the payment of sixty dollars; the admission-fee of ten dollars, of