126 TRANSACTIONS. 
24th of January, 1889. 
At a meeting of the Council held on this date, the Secretary 
submitted the following letter from the Town Clerk of Dumfries : 
Town Crerx’s Orrice, DumFRriEs, 
22d January, 1889. 
Rosert Barpour, Esq., 
Secretary, Dumfries and Galloway Natural 
History and Antiquarian Society. 
Dear Sir, 
I enclose excerpt from the will of the late 
Mr William Baxter, from which you will observe that he has bequeathed 
certain specimens illustrative of Natural History to the Town Council of 
Dumfries, with power to the Council to allow said specimens to remain 
for such time as they see fit in the hands of any Geological or Natural 
History Society locally connected with the burgh. The matter has been 
considered by the Provost’s Committee, and they are disposed to recom- 
mend the Council to place the specimens in the custody of the Dumfries 
and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, if the Society 
will undertake such custody, but, first of all, it is desirable that the 
articles be inspected, and I am instructed to enquire whether the Council 
of your Society will depute one of its members to accompany Provost 
Scott to Glasgow to make the inspection. From a letter from the agents 
of Mr Baxter’s Trustees, I find that it is desirable that the inspection 
should be made on an early day. 
Yours truly, 
JOHN GRIERSON, Town Clerk. 
The following is the extract from Mr Baxter’s Will : 
Thirdly, My geological and other specimens illustrative of Natural 
History shall be made over to the Magistrates and Town Council of the 
Burgh of Dumfries in trust for the community thereof, and shall be 
placed or exhibited by the said Magistrates and Town Council in a 
Public Museum or other suitable premises in the town, conveniently 
situated and readily accessible to the community, but expressly excepting 
and excluding the establishment known as the ‘‘ Old Windmill ” in or 
near Dumfries, with power to the Town Council to allow the said 
specimens to remain for such time as they see fit (subject to the after- 
mentioned stipulation in case of a free library being founded) in the 
hands of any Geological or Natural History Society locally connected 
with the said burgh, for the purpose of assisting the Society 
in illustrating Geology or Natural History or promoting the knowledge 
thereof. To the said Magistrates and Town Council the sum of Fifty 
Pounds sterling towards founding a Free Library for the said Burgh of 
Dumfries, in the event of the same not being founded prior to my death, 
providing also that the specimens and others before referred to and this 
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