OPENING OF THE ESSEX MUSEUM, ETC. 329 



them and were destined to play an important part in national technical 

 education. They had seen enough of " pottering " education in the counties 

 and he considered that the great advantage of such institutes was the 

 systematic natuic of the instruction which they offered. He was particularly 

 glad to see from their programme that systematic courses extending over 

 several years had been organised for their evening department. He took 

 occasion also to congratulate the Committee of the Borough Council for the 

 extremely enlightened way in which they appeared to be conducting the 

 affairs of the Institute as manifested by the excellently equipped laboratories 

 and workshops. It appears to have been realised that education like every- 

 thing else was in a state of development — that methods and appliances were 

 continually undergoing modification, and that no educational body could 

 afford to remain in a state of suspended animation. The spirit of modern 

 requirements had been entered into by their Committee and an Institute 

 worked under such auspices was bound to succeed. (Applause.) 



He desired in the next place to take that opportunity of publicly thanking 

 on behalf of the Club those to whom they were indebted for material assist- 

 ance in bring the Museum to its present state. First and foremost his old 

 friend, Mr. William Cole, deserved mention and his services had alreads been 

 alluded to by Lady Warwick. Then it was obvious that in starting such an 

 undertaking they had a certain amount of " red-tape " to get through. He 

 did not use the term in the offensive sense as signifying procrastination and 

 delay — the necessary legal formalities had on the contrary been carried 

 througti with remarkable expedition by their Hon. Counsel (Mr. Dare), and 

 their Hon. Solicitor (Mr. Coburn), who had been met in the most cordial 

 spirit by the excellent Town Clerk (Dr. Hilleary). To all these gentlemen he 

 considered that their warmest thanks were due. With regard to the stocking 

 of the Museum with specimens he thought that special mention should be 

 made of the voluntary services of Mr. W. H. Dalton, who had noi only given 

 a magnificent collection of Crag fossils, but had himself undertaken their 

 classification and arrangement. Valuable contributions had been received 

 also from Mr. Harting, from Mr. Carvalho and many others, but time did not 

 admit of his thanking them individually. 



Passing now to the immediate resolution before them he considered they 

 were very much indebted to Lady Warwick for coming there and putting, 

 with her usual grace, that crowning touch to their work. She was a busy 

 lady — in fact one of the busiest ladies he knew. There were many ladies 

 who went about busying themselves with things that nobody particularly 

 wanted and which would have been very much better left alone. It v\as all 

 the difference between a busy person and a busybody, and his good friend 

 and colleague was a busy lady iu the very best sense of the term. He was 

 perhaps, in as good a position as anybody to explain how much they really 

 were indebted to her ladyship for giving them her time because he had for 

 some years been associated with her in her educational work in another part 

 of the county, and he knew from personal experience what enormous demands 

 were made upon her time and what zeal she threw into every branch of her 

 work. Her presence there that evening and the good work she was carrying 

 on elsewhere might serve as brilliant examples to other ladies of her station. 



