I96 [Proc. B.N.F. C, 



mittee's report on 1st July would refer to the Museum. The 

 report did not refer to it, and in reply to a question from one 

 of the Council, the Town Clerk explained that a reference to 

 the Museum was accidentally omitted from the report. I again 

 pressed the matter upon the attention of the Library Com- 

 mittee, and at the August meeting the report of the Library 

 Committee contained the following paragraph : — 



" Your Committee have to report that they have for some time past been in com- 

 munication with the Directors of South Kensington Museum, with a view of ob- 

 taining from them a loan collection for Exhibition in the Free Library. Two mem- 

 bers of Council and the Town Clerk, who were lately in London on other business 

 of the Corporation, had an interview with Sir P. Cunliffe-Owen, Director, and Mr. 

 Cundall, Inspector, and your Committee are glad to be able to report that arrangements 

 have been made for a loan collection, to be sent to Belfast in November next, and 

 allowed to remain on Exhibition for six months. Your Committee have undertaken 

 to supplement it with local exhibits, and feel assured that parties having such will lend 

 them for Exhibition." 



At this meeting the Mayor made the very important an- 

 nouncement — " That it was a rule of the Science and Art 

 Department, that the inhabitants must make some effort them- 

 selves before it grants any loan." 



The monthly meetings of the Town Council for September 

 and October passed without any reference to the exhibition. 



The Library Committee's report read at the November 

 meeting of Council stated, that final arrangements were made 

 for a loan from South Kensington, and the Chairman expected 

 that the Museum would be opened in a month or six weeks. 

 I had a communication from the Committee intimating that 

 " it is not probable the exhibition can be open much before the 

 beginning of the year." 



But the Chairman's remarks were valuable as being the first 

 intimation that the Council had yielded to pressure and 

 authority. As all my recommendations for a Town Museum, 

 published by the local press or placed directly before the 

 Town Council, had been ineffective, I was most anxious to 

 obtain from the Town Council an official acknowledgement of 

 their intention to have a Town Museum formed. I therefore 

 wrote again, and had the satisfaction of receiving from the 



