Item 5 - Letter from Sir Stafford H. Northcote to John Hutton Balfour

Letter from Sir Stafford H. Northcote to John Hutton Balfour dated 29 January 1859; "My dear Sir, I have carefully considered the proposal which you urged upon me the other day for increasing the present grant to the Royal Botanic Gardens from £1000 to £1500; and have consulted both Mr Hamilton and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject, who agree with me in thinking that the Treasury might properly consent to the following arrangement. That the Treasury should endeavour to make an agreement with the Caledonian Horticultural Society for buying up the residue of their term, and turning the whole or a portion of their ground to profit as building ground. The Hall which the Botanic Garden wishes to have for an Herbarium might perhaps be preserved. Enough of the ground might be fenced off to bring in the present rent of £140. The residue might then be handed over to the Royal Botanic Garden, and the £200 a year now paid to the Horticultural Society out of the funds of the Board of Manufacturers might be added to the grant to the Botanic Gardens, without necessitating any increase in the charge on the Public, to which I anticipate great difficulty."