Colonies. This was started in 1855 for the purpose of furthering the welfare and prosperity of the Australian Colonies, and more especially of promoting the passing of the several Constitution Bills of those Colonies, and of entering into correspondence when necessary with the various departments of state of Her Majesty's Government. The founders of this association comprised amongst others, the following gentlemen, who subsequently took an active part in the establishment of the Royal Colonial Institute, and are at present amongst its most active fellows: The Right Hon. Hugh Childers, Mr. F. A. Du Croz, Sir Arthur Hodgson, Mr. Donald Larnach, Sir Charles Nicholson, and Sir James A. Youl, who acted throughout the society's existence as honorary secretary and treasurer, and is at present one of the warmest supporters and a Vice-President of the Royal Colonial Institute. The association at one time numbered 231 members, but during 1862, or only seven years after its establishment, it came to an untimely end, as its funds were not sufficient to carry out the varied and important objects which it was thought expedient to take in hand. The minute book and proceedings of the association, containing many important and valuable documents, were kindly presented to the library of the Royal Colonial Institute by Sir James Youl, and are interesting records of the work performed at that period in connection with the affairs of the Australian Colonies. Coming now to the more immediate subject of my paper, it is exactly twenty-six years ago that a few gentlemen, prominent amongst them being Viscount Bury now Earl of Albemarle, Mr. A. R. Roche, Sir James A. Youl, and other representatives of colonial interests met together with the object of forming a society, which should assume in relation to the Colonies a position similar to that filled by the Royal Society as regards science, and the Royal Geographical Society as regards geography, the result being the foundation of the present institution under the title which was adopted by its predecessor of 1837 of the Colonial Society, the prefix Royal being graciously sanctioned by Her Majesty the Queen, twelve months later. Inconvenience, however, arising from the similarity of the initial letters to those of the Royal College of Surgeons, the title was in 1870 changed to that of the Royal Colonial Institute. One of the chief objects of the Institute was the establishment of a reading room and library in which recent and authentic intelligence upon Colonial and Indian subjects might be constantly available, and my object to-night is to attempt to explain how well that part of
