98 



The Fiftieth General Meeting. 



even, much less for the proper exhibition, of all the collections we 

 possess. Advantage is, therefore, being taken of this — the Jubilee — 

 Meeting of the Society, in the town where it was cradled, to issue 

 a special appeal to the Members of the Society, the general public, 

 and all patrons of science and education, to provide funds for 

 building additional rooms upon the space recently purchased with 

 that view. Plans have been prepared by Mr. Pouting, and will be 

 exhibited during this Meeting, showing how in course of time the 

 whole of this space may be utilised, but at present it is proposed 

 to deal only with one portion of these plans and to erect a building 

 which shall comprise a library, to be called the ' Jackson Memorial 

 Library,' and a room for the display of antiquities. It is very 

 much to be desired that the county may recognise this effort and 

 provide the sum asked for. The utility and interest of the Society's 

 Museum and Library may be very greatly increased by the scheme 

 being quickly realised. 



" 9. — The Society has held live meetings at Devizes, and now 

 returns after fifteen years' interval to hold its fiftieth anniversary 

 in this town. There had been a hope that Lord Lansdowne, as Patron 

 — hereditary Patron we might almost say — of the Society, would 

 have been able to preside at this Meeting, but the exigencies of the 

 high post he holds in the Government of the country prevent him 

 from attending. Lord Bath, our President now, for the usual term, is 

 taking up the duties of his office at this Meeting, in succession to the 

 Lord Bishop of Bristol, whose efforts in connection with this post 

 deserve especial mention. He attended every Meeting and took a 

 very active and able part in the work of the Society. The Committee 

 recommend that he should be invited to become a Vice-President 

 of the Society. Mr. Medlicott is resigning the post of Hon. General 

 Secretary after twenty-two years' service in that capacity. The 

 Committee have more than once endeavoured to induce him to 

 reconsider his decision, but in this, they much regret to say, they 

 failed. Mr. Medlicott's wide knowledge of the county, and his long 

 experience in all county matters, have been of the greatest value 

 to the Society in very many ways, and the position that the Society 

 occupies to-day in the County of Wilts is in no small measure due 



