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President's Address. 291 
in cathedrals, churches, and other public places and buildings, as, in 
their opinion, it would be desirable to place under the protection of 
the Government, with a view to their proper custody and preserva- 
tion.” The Rev. Canon Jackson undertook to make a return for 
Wilts, which has been published in a tabulated form. The special 
committee in their report say that they have taken only those 
monuments which are absolutely known to belong to those individuals 
to whom they were erected. Sir John Lubbock, on Monday night, 
gave notice in the House of Commons that next session he should 
‘move for leave to introduce a bill for the preservation of historic 
monuments of interest. (Hear, hear.) And perhaps I may be 
allowed to draw your attention to a work by Mr. Fergusson on 
Stone Monuments. He says a good deal about Stonehenge and 
Abury, and is of opinion in connection with Mr. Algeron Herbert 
and other antiquaries, that they are not so old as supposed. Of 
Stonehenge, in particular, he holds that it is of the fifth century. 
For my own part, I cannot offer a conjecture which is satisfactory 
to myself concerning the origin of this great Wiltshire antiquity, 
but agreeing perfectly with what has been said by a noble president 
of this Society, Lord Nelson, and strongly urged by Mr. Matcham, 
of New House, I hope with them to see a Stonehenge congress of 
savants composed of English, Irish, Welsh, and French, who, united 
in an assembly, shall form such an opinion as may perhaps set at- 
rest this vexed question for ever. (Hear, hear.) I need hardly 
desecant upon the great value of these proceedings, not only to the 
archeologists of Wiltshire, but to the whole body of antiquaries. 
We still hope to see more of those “ Purochial Histories” so ably 
commenced by the Rev. Prebendary Wilkinson, and we shall gladly 
_ welcome any contribution in the shape of local history from our 
“ members, both new and old. And while we have such free leave 
given to us by our county families to examine their family papers 
and archives, I hope the students of Wiltshire topography may also 
ios . . 
in due course have free access to the Sarum registry. Iam informed 
that free access has been obtained for the public to ancient wills and 
_ records in other registries—that all fees have been abolished and full 
_ power given to make extracts, which could only be done before by 
- VOL. XIII.—NO. XXXIX. ) YX 
