Notes and Comments. 85 
play in the life of the nation, and especially of discussing ways 
and means by which these institutions can be rendered still 
more valuable in the present crisis.’ 
A DEPUTATION. 
Though the announcement in regard to the deputation was 
only made in the press on the day before it occurred, besides 
the Museums Association, there were also representatives from 
the National Art Collections Fund, the Royal Asiatic Society, 
the Art Workers’ Guild, and the Imperial Arts Guild. It 
included :—Lord Sudeley, Sir W. Wallis (curator of the Birming- 
ham Art Gallery), Sir Martin Conway, Sir C. Waldstein, Prof. 
W. Bateson, Mr. David Murray, Mr. R. Ross, Mr. R. Witt, 
Mr. G. Protheroe, Mr. P. Gardner, Mr. W. R. Colton, Mr. H. 
Speed, Sir E. Ray Lankester, Mr. E. Rimbault Dibdin (President 
of the Museums Association and Curator of the Walker Art 
Gallery, Liverpool), Mr. E. E. Lowe (Curator of the Leicester 
Museum, and Secretary of the Museums Association), Dr. W. E. 
Hoyle (Curator of the National Museum of Wales), Mr. Thomas 
‘Sheppard (Curator of the Hull Museums), Dr. Herbert Langton 
(Hon Treasurer of the Museums Association, and Chairman of 
the Brighton Museum Committee), Mr. F. R. Rowley (Royal 
Albert Museum, Exeter, and Vice-President of the Museums 
Association), Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield, Hastings. Colonel 
Hall Walker introduced the deputation. The views of the 
deputation were presented to the Prime Minister (who was 
accompanied by the Hon. E. S. Montagu) by Sir Sidney Colvin, 
Mr. Witt, and Mr. Prothero on behalf of the National Art 
Collections Fund ; by Mr. Dibdin, Sir Ray Lankester, and Dr. 
Hoyle, on behalf of the Museums Association ; and by Mr. 
‘Colton on behalf of the Imperial Arts League. Mr, E. E. Lowe 
also presented a petition signed by Mayors and Provosts of 
our large cities, Principals of Universities, University Pro- 
fessors, Officials of Scientific Societies, etc. Though there had 
only been two days in which to get the signatures together, 
there were over 800 obtained. 
OBJECTIONS TO CLOSING. 
Sir 5. Colvin, referring to the wide and weighty body of 
expert and general opinion which was opposed to the closing 
of museums, gave extracts from letters of protest written by 
the Presidents of the British Academy, the Royal Society, 
the Society of Antiquaries, the Geographical Society, and the 
British Association. A memorial against the proposal had 
also been signed in the course of a single day by eight heads 
of colleges, 27 University Professors and Readers, and 21 
‘College Tutors and Officers. He estimated that the utmost 
saving that could be made by shutting the two branches of 


4916 Mar. 1. 
