The Opening Meeting, 



111 



then remain there for ever. He thought some immediate public steps 

 should be taken, by means of a public meeting, or some other method 

 of getting at the views of the leading men of Wiltshire, who should 

 treat outspokenly with this matter. He thought Sir Edmund 

 Antrobus should feel that he occupied a very important position in 

 being practically the master of this monument, and that, through 

 whatever channel he was most accessible, they should appeal to him 

 to help them to carry out that object. They did not wish to throw 

 any expense upon him. If he would throw the monument over to the 

 public the public would take care of it. Some meeting in Salisbury, 

 and notices put forward in a way which would touch the feelings, 

 not merely of the men who know Stonehenge well, but the feelings 

 of the whole of England, were, he thought, practicable ; and their 

 Society was the proper means of doing it. If no one suggested 

 anything else, he should propose that the meeting sanction the 

 appointment of a committee, or ask the Council of the Society, to 

 undertake this work. 



Professor Rupert Jones continued the discussion, and reported 

 that the Geological Society, which had lately paid a visit to Stone- 

 henge, considered that something should be done for its preservation, 

 that they had communicated with General Pitt Rivers on the subject, 

 and tried to induce the owner to place it under national care. 



The Rev. C. Soames suggested the propriety of* approaching Sir 

 Edmund Antrobus, and enlisting his assent and co-operation with 

 the Society ; and Canon Jackson advocated a general remonstrance 

 from the geological, antiquarian, and other scientific societies ; so 

 that, the question being taken up by the national societies, and not 

 by the Wiltshire Society alone, Sir E. Antrobus might be inclined 

 to listen to them. 



After some further conversational discussion it was proposed by 

 the President " That the Council o£ the Society be hereby requested 

 to put itself in communication with the Archaeological, Antiquarian, 

 and Scientific Societies in London, with a view of common action 

 in the direction of carrying out some measures for the preservation 

 of Stonehenge." This was seconded by the Rev. C. Soames, and 

 unanimously agreed to. 



