8 The Ninth General Meeting. 



he confessed that the same rule would hardly be upheld, as desirable 

 to be carried out in planting a human colony. 



The President then said that as this was the last opportunity 

 of their meeting in the town of Malmesbury, he desired to express 

 thanks once more, to the Secretaries of the Society, to the Local 

 Committee, the two Local Secretaries, (Mr. Harris and Mr. 

 Forrester), and the Curator of the Museum, (Mr. Jennings), as 

 also to the inhabitants generally, for the interest they had taken 

 in the proceedings, and especially to all those who had contributed 

 to the Temporary Museum : he then reminded the company of the 

 proceedings as arranged for the following day, and declared the 

 business of the evening terminated. 



Canon Jackson begged to say that the proceedings were not 

 quite over for that evening: indeed (as was said to be the case m 

 certain postscripts) they had left the most important part to the 

 last, and that was to return thanks to the President of the meeting. 

 For when they first came down to arrange the meeting at Malmes- 

 bury, owing to the lamented illness of the President of the Society, 

 they were in great danger of coming before the public in the very 

 unseemly condition of a body without a head. But in this emer- 

 gency it had occurred to them, that perhaps amongst the gentlemen 

 living in the neighbourhood of Malmesbury, they might find a 

 substitute for their chief. They had been so fortunate as to find 

 one, who not only in the lineaments of his face, but still more in 

 his readiness to come forward and give his aid, when wanted, 

 most nearly resembled his highly esteemed brother. To the Presi- 

 dent of their meeting, who had so kindly acted at their request, 

 and had fulfilled the duties of his office so ably, he therefore 

 proposed their best acknowledgments. 



Mr. Estcourt thanked the company, and declared the pleasure 

 he had had in presiding over them. Mr. Cunnington then 

 announced that the Annual Meeting of the Society for the 

 next year would in all probability be held at Devizes, and in the 

 name of the inhabitants of that town bid the Society welcome. 

 The meeting then separated. 



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