The Opening Meeting. 



131 



and as an instance, called attention to the South Kensington Museum, 

 which had now arrived at an admirable state of perfection, and had 

 tended more to raise the character of English manufactures during* 

 the last half century than anything else. He, therefore, trusted 

 that the Society's Museum would receive a large number of in- 

 teresting articles. 



The Rev, Canon Jackson said he could not quit the room (which, 

 however, he had entered with no intention of making a speech) 

 without expressing his gratification for the kindness he had received 

 both from the speaker and those present. He was conscious, how- 

 ever, of having done only what he could for the Society, and was 

 one of those, who, twenty-one years ago, stood on that very platform 

 with the late Marquis of Lansdowne in the chair, at the inaugural 

 meeting of the Society. He promised then to do what he could, and 

 he had endeavoured to fulfil his promise. He was very pleased to 

 see the hall in 1874^ contain more supporters than it did in 1853. 

 It spoke of progress, and as the report told them they were twenty- 

 one years old, certainly it would appear that they had arrived at 

 years of discretion. He congratulated the Society on that fact 

 most sincerely. During those twenty-one years the members had 

 written some fourteen volumes, which were now very rare in the 

 market, and the speaker asked, what would they be twenty-one years 

 hence ? The finance had been kept in good order, there were 300 

 members on the books, they had just established a Museum — and 

 yet, the language of the law said they had but arrived at years of 

 discretion. Twenty-one years hence, he supposed, would find that 

 discretion would be absolute wisdom. In conclusion, the rev. 

 gentleman said he sincerely trusted that as the old supporters of the 

 Society became incapacitated, through old age, from continuing their 

 exertions,there would be young members who would canyon the work. 



The Rev. A. C. Smith remarked that the Society, from the first, 

 had contemplated the formation of the Museum that had just been 

 formally opened. From various reasons, however, they had not been 

 able to carry out their intentions until now, and he was very sorry 

 that two of those who had been most active in their work were not 

 now with them — he alluded to Mr. Wittey and Dr. Thurnam, both of 



