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"The Russia Company, founded in 1553 with Sebastian Cabot as Governor, was the first English Joint-Stock Company formed for foreign trading and discovery. Under its auspices Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chaneelor attempted to find the north-east passage to Cathay, when the accident of their vessels being driven by storm into the White Sea resulted in the discovery of the port of Archangel—whence Chancelor penetrated to Moscow. The Company, having received its charter from Philip and Mary, was given special privileges in Russia under an ukase of Ivan the Terrible. Its trading privileges have been practically in abeyance for the past two centuries, but it still remains a oorpomtion of merchants especially interested in Russia, and applies its funds for charitable purposes such as the maintenance-of English chaplains in the chief Russian cities. The Anglo-Russian Committee, which was formed in 1009, on the occasion of the visit of Members of the Duma to England, and which organized in 1912 a visit of British Members of Parliament and others to Russia, has devoted itself to the furtherance of Russian studies in Britain, and to efforts for a truer understanding between the two countries. It was lately decided to merge the two associations, in orch#r that them in this country who have a special interest in, or knowledge of, Russian matters should be united under the aegis of an historical foundation. Accordingly at the Court of the Russia Company, of which Jklr. D. T. Morgan is the present Governor, held on March 29th, a number of new freemen of that Company were elected, including the following noblemen and gentlemen : Lord Weardale, Lord Sanderson, Lord Peel, Lord Ampthill, the Right Hon. Sir William Mather, the Bishop of Wakefield, the Hon. Arthur Stanley, M.P., Lord Hugh Cecil, M.P., Blr. John Buchan, Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace, Professor J. Y. Simpson, D.Sc., the Right Hon. Sir Albert Spicer, M.P., Mr. John Walter, Mr. Ian Malcolm, M.P., Mr. C. Hagberg Wright, Lieut.-General Sir James Wolfe-Murray, Mr. J. St. Loe Strachey, Sir Ronald Ross, the Hon. Maurice Baring, and the Right Hon. II. T. Baker, M.P."
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