i6 



Matters progressed so that in January 1830, advertisements for 

 estimates for the proposed building appeared in the local papers, 

 Messrs. Duff and Jackson being the architects. The latter gen- 

 tleman, Mr. Thomas Jackson, is still among us. The founda- 

 tion stone of the building was laid by the Marquis of Donegall 

 on 4th May, 1830, the Belfast Commercial Chronicle of the 

 following day giving an interesting account of the ceremony. 

 After the introductory paragraphs this report proceeds to state 

 that " the foundation stone was then laid by his Lordship with 

 the usual formalities ; the silver trowel employed being the 

 same which his Lordship had used in laying the foundation 

 stone of the Academical Institution, and of a number of our 

 other public buildings. Dr. Drummond, as president of the 

 Natural History Society, then stated that the bottle which was 

 deposited in the first stone contained, among many other things 

 enumerated, 'some verses from the twelfth chapter of Job, in 

 fifteen different lauguages.' William Tennent, Esq., then 

 addressed his Lordship, and expressed, on the part of the Na- 

 tural History Society, their thanks for his Lordship's attendance 

 on that occasion, and for his uniform attention to the welfare 

 of our various public institutions. The loud acclamations of 

 the concourse of spectators who had assembled to witness the 

 ceremony, evinced the interest they felt in the commencement 

 of a building which, we have no doubt, will be highly credita- 

 ble to the taste and liberality of our town." The public open- 

 ing of the Museum took place on Tuesday, 1st November, 

 1 83 1, and, from the length at which the proceedings are 

 reported in the local papers of the period, it is evident that the 

 event was regarded as one of no small interest and importance. 

 Mr. Edmund Getty, one of the vice-presidents, read the report, 

 which on an occasion of the kind was more than an annual 

 report, and gave a brief history of the society from its founda- 

 tion, ten years previously, by the eight gentlemen whom I have 

 already named, up to the period under notice. The number 

 of ordinary members at the time of the opening of the Museum 

 had increased to 91, and in addition there were a number of 

 corresponding, visiting, and honorary members, residing in 



