14 FOEMATIOir OF THE SOCIETY : UNPUBLISHED RECORDS. 
Aware of the importance to a commercial country, of a full and 
accurate knowledge of all its commercial interests, and painfully 
remembering how much it has suffered from the ignorance of the 
legislature on such subjects, the Society would not neglect the great 
advantages it would enjoy for collecting the fullest statistical details 
of the great trading interests of the districts. 
In conclusion, the Society — having for its objects the advance- 
ment and diffusion of knowledge — would make its collections and its 
discussions as public as possible ; would be ready to assist men of 
science in any investigation connected with the district ; would be 
glad to forward any experiments for which it might have local ad- 
vantages, and which might be necessary to test particular theories ; 
and would thus form a link in that bright chain of science, which we 
may soon hope to see run from one end of the empire to the other. 
A ]\[eeting of the Council was held at Wakefield, in the Music 
Hall, on the 7th of June, 1838, and after some discussion the 
council adjourned for the purpose of seeing some lands on which 
it was proposed to erect a building suitable for a Museum, one 
place selected being a field, which was for sale, adjoining Clifi" Hill 
Tree. Afterwards Prof. Johnston delivered his lecture in the Music 
Hall ; the Rev. Wm. Thorp presided, and introduced the lecturer, 
who gave a very clear and good address. A reporter from the office 
of the Leeds Intelligencer was engaged to report the lecture, which 
was afterwards printed in the form of a pamphlet, and circulated 
amongst the members. The letter following has reference to this as 
well as other matters. 
The Honorary Secretary to Mr. Embleton. 
Banks, 31st June, IS 38. 
Dear Sir, 
I shall be obliged by your requesting ]\Ir. Beckwith to make a 
full transcript of his notes, I have arranged with Prof. Johnston 
to forward it to him, and he proposes introducing one or two points 
that he omitted, and perhaps developing some of those he did allude 
to more fully. We are then to publish it and send the Professor 50 
copies. I feel very anxious to secure a paper on the identification 
of the various coal seams against our next meeting. Would it 
