41 



i6th Aprils i8gS' 



The Lord Mayor in the Chair. 



Mr. John Brown gave a Lecture on 

 " AUTOMOBILES OR HORSELESS CARRIAGES. 



Mr. Brown has for some time past given considerable attention 

 to the subject of motor carriages, and during a recent visit to 

 France purchased one, which is believed to be the first 

 introduced into this country. It is driven by a Serpollet steam 

 motor, and was last night on exhibition at the hall, where it 

 was inspected with much interest by a large and representative 

 audience, which included many leading local scientists. In 

 addition to the carriage itself, Mr. Brown employed to illustrate 

 his lecture a numerous collection of excellent lantern slides 

 showing the history and development of this application of 

 mechanical ingenuity. 



The Lord Mayor, who was cordially received, said he had 

 always taken a very deep interest in all kinds of mechanical 

 progress, and it was a matter for extreme regret that while 

 great developments had taken place during recent years in 

 mechanical contrivances for a variety of purposes, in one 

 particular — namely, that of horseless carriages — British skill 

 and enterprise has not only been discouraged, but positively 

 checked and thwarted by an antiquated Act of Parliament that 

 should have been repealed long ago. He had alluded to this 

 subject at the Council meeting on the first of the year, when he 

 was installed into office as Lord Mayor, expressing the hope 

 that before the century was out they would see horseless 

 carriages going through the streets of Belfast as well as in other 

 cities of the United Kingdom, and he at the same time drew 



