168 ANNrVERSAEY ADDRESS. 



A provincial museum such as ours should not, in my opinion, 

 aim at quite the same ohject as the National Institiition of which 

 we are all so proud, and indeed it is practically out of the question 

 for a nation to have more than one such treasure-house, if any 

 approach to perfection is to be sought. 



A local museum should be maintained for the preservation of 

 objects of local interest and for the encouragement of study, 

 which, without the illustration which its contents afford, would 

 often be colourless and devoid of reality. There should also be 

 a few reproductions or models of some of the best and most 

 beautiful works of art, to guide and form the taste of those who 

 perhaps have little or no opportunity of seeing the originals ; but 

 these should be limited in number and should not be allowed 

 to divert the storage room of the museum from its local duties, 

 which are the most important, as within its walls can be collected 

 a much wider and more detailed series of articles of local interest 

 than could possibly find space in a national museum, which has 

 its gathering-ground not only in all parts of the nation but also 

 of the entire world. 



I have to express my sincere thanks for the kind forbearance 

 with which you have listened to my feeble effort, and I trust that 

 I have not wearied you too much. 



