III.-Meeting The last annual general meeting of the Society was held on the 17th March 1926, the president of the Society, His Excellency Sir Henry Wheeler, presiding. The Vice-President (Mr. V. H. Jackson) reviewed the work of the Society during the past year, and an address on the subject "Some Living Problems of Buddhism" was delivered by Mr. J. Van Manen, General Secretary of the Asatic Society of Bengal. On the 9th April 1926 a quarterly meeting was held, the Vice-President (Mr. V. H. Jackson) presiding: when Mr. P. C. Manuk, Barristerat-Law, delivered a lecture, illustrated by lantern slides, on the subject "Glimpses into the story of Pictorial Art in India". On the 18th November 1926 another quarterly meeting was held, Sir B. K. Mullick presiding, when Rai Bahadur Rama Prasad Chanda, Superintendent, Archæological Section, Indian Museum, Calcutta, delivered a lecture, illustrated by lantern slides, on "Antiquities in Mayurbhanj". Meetings of the Council elected at the last Annual Meeting, were held on the 1st August, the 26th September, the 21st November 1926 and on the 80th January and 13th March 1927. IV.-Library Rai Sahib Manoranjan Ghosh continues to be Honorary Librarian. The acquisition during 1926 numbered 166 volumes (Sanskrit and Pali 22), representing 142 books-of which 11 were purchased, 47 presented and 84 received in exchange. On the 31st December 1926 the Library contained 3,264 as compared with 3,098 volumes at the end of 1925. We are trying to complete the series in the Bulletin De L'École Française D'Extrême Orient. Rs. 300, the balance of the sum set up for the purchase of books for the year under report, has been set apart for the purpose. The sum of Rs. 10,000, given by the Maharaja Lieutenant Purna Chandra Bhanja Deo of Mayurbhanj, was received in December 1926. Lists of books that are to be purchased in this connection are being prepared. V.-Search for manuscripts The Hon'ble the Maharajadhiraja of Darbhanga has given Rs. 5,000 as a first instalment towards meeting the cost of publication of the descriptive catalogue of Mithila Sanskrit MSS., prepared under the supervision of Mr. Jayaswal and Dr. Banerji-Sastri. The catalogue will be complete in 22 parts contained in 8 volumes. The printing of the first volumeon Dharmasastra-is finished; and it is hoped that it will be ready for publication shortly, with critical introduction and index. The printing of the catalogue has been entrusted to the Khadgavilas Press, Bankipore. The search for Sanskrit and Prakrit MSS. was continued during the year, the field of work being now the Bhagalpur district. From an examination of the materials already to hand, it is hoped that the selection of this field will be justified by the results. Government having given the necessary financial assistance, an Oriya Pandit was appointed on the 15th September 1926 to resume the search for Sanskrit MSS. in Orissa and is at present working in Dhenkanal. His services will also be utilised to prepare, with a view to publication, a descriptive catalogue of the Oriya Sanskrit MSS. already catalogued. VI.-General The Society has suffered a serious less in the death of Sir John Bucknill and the resignation of Professor Jadunath Sarkar. Lieutenant Maharaja Purna Chandra Bhanja Deo of Mayurbhanj was elected a Vice-Patron and made a gift of Rs. 10,000 to the Society. It is gratifying to be able to record that the building for the Patna Museum, at an estimated cost of two and three-quarter lakhs, is now under construction. In the same building suitable accommodation will be provided for the library and offices of the Research Society. Exchange of publications has been effected with the following since the date of the last annual report : Director of Archæology, Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad. Journal, Andhra Historical Research Society, Rajamundry. The annual statement of accounts is being presented by the Honorary Treasurer. A. BANERJI-SASTRI, Honorary General Secretary. Statement of Accounts for 1926-27. The balance on the 31st March 1926 was Rs. 13,974-10-6. The income up to February 1927 was Rs. 17,983-2-8 and the expenditure, Rs. 25,761-2-11. Of the latter, Rs. 14,000 represents the transfer to fixed deposit out of the Hathwa, Darbhanga and Mayurbhanj donations. The net financial result is a balance of Rs. 6,196-10-3. Together with the transferred amount it makes a total of Rs. 20,196. The financial condition of the Society is sound. On the income side we have to record gratefully the handsome donation of Rs. 10,000 from H. H. the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, which will be spent on the library. Under the head subscription, the figure, though below the budgetted amount, is actually larger than the actuals for the last year by Rs. 603-10-0. The income from the sale of the journal has been Rs. 32-2-0 as against Rs. 1,052-1-6. This is a serious falling off but the increase under the head subscription very nearly balances the deficit under this item. On the expenditure side there is an unspent balance of Rs. 408-9-1 under library. The accounts, however, represent the transactions up to the end of February only. D. N. SEN, Honorary Treasurer. |