Ipswich Museum. 69 



cither disorderly conduct or damage to anything in the Museum. 

 He hailed the circumstance of the Bishop coming forward to walk 

 in the steps of his highly respected predecessor, as an omen for the 

 future success of the Institution. 



The Bishop of Norwich was much ohliged to the meeting for the 

 kind compliment, and for the hearty welcome which he had found in 

 Ipswich. In supporting that Institution, in giving it what encourage- 

 ment and countenance were in his power, in treading in the footsteps 

 of his lamented and honoured predecessor, he felt that he was doing 

 no more than a hare duty, for he could not but recollect that the Mu- 

 seum was a Museum for the people. He could not hut congratulate 

 the meeting on the result of what had taken place that day. These 

 meetings were a most important arrangement in conjunction with the 

 Museum itself; he might say that they gave life to the dead speci- 

 mens with which they were surrounded. 



The Dinner, which was numerously attended, was presided over by 

 J. C. Cobbold, Esq., M.P. for Ipswich, supported by H. E. Adair, 

 Esq., M.P., A. S. Adair, Esq., M.P., and J. H. Hardcastle, Esq., 

 M.P. ; the Bishop of Norwich, and many of the Clergy. His Lord- 

 ship, in responding to a toast from the chair, remarked that it was 

 quite true, as the Chairman had observed, that this was the first 

 occasion upon which he had been called to respond to the toast of 

 " The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese." It was peculiarly gratify- 

 ing to him that the first occasion of his doing so should be at a meet- 

 ing of this particular description. It was a token of an improved and 

 enlightened spirit of the age. The time, he hoped, was now quite 

 gone by, when scientific and natural truth was considered not only 

 at variance with, and distinct from, religious truth, but principally 

 in opposition to it. As Professor Sedgwick had very forcibly pointed 

 out that morning, the Word and Works of God were only books 

 which we must trace to the same Divine authorship — different vo- 

 lumes of a revelation of mercy ; and he was persuaded, that the more 

 they compared the one with the other, in an honest and right spirit, 

 the more He would enable us to illustrate and confirm the one by 

 the other. The Museum and its meetings had a direct connection 

 with the ministry ; for an Institution which tended obviously to 

 withdraw the humbler classes from debasing scenes and habits, and 

 which rendered these classes industrious, sober, and honest, was an 

 Institution that was co-operating with the ministrations of the clergy ; 

 to a certain extent it occupied the same ground, that was to say, it 

 prepared the objects of their ministrations for the more ready ap- 

 plication of the Divine word. — A meeting like the present was com- 

 mon ground for all. Whatever might be our differences or disagree- 

 ments on politics or on religion, here, at least, we were united — we 

 were one. The Museum, and its meetings, which were very important 

 adjuncts, furnished us with the materials of a temple of charity. 

 



On the previous Wednesday evening a highly interesting lecture 

 had been delivered by Professor Owen upon the extinct gigantic! 

 wingless birds of New Zealand, which we hope to notice in a future 

 number. 



