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JAMES WHATMAN, Esq., M.P,, then rose to propose
the last Resolution, and spoke as follows:—
I will now, with the permission of the Meeting,
trespass very shortly on your time, by requesting your attention
for a very few moments to two points which I think have not been
noticed. I will not attempt to enlarge upon them because our time
is passing on, and many of the company will be unable to remain
here much longer.
The first point to which I would advert is the
publications of the Society. I have this year had the honour to be
elected an Auditor of the parent Society, the Society of
Antiquaries of London, and in this way it has come to my knowledge
that the expense of the publication of the Society's most valuable
work, the 'Archaeologia' has been in some years very large,
and has in fact exceeded the amount which even that Society's
comparatively large income would justify. Now this excess has not
been caused by the publication, but by the illustrations to the
work. Every contributor of a valuable or interesting Paper is
naturally anxious that it should be well illustrated, and the
Publishing Committee are equally anxious to embellish their work,
and to render it as important and complete as possible; I would
therefore suggest that those amongst us who are most ambitious for
the publication of their contributions, should either contribute
or induce their friends to contribute the expense of the
illustrations. In this way our annual volume may be handsomely
embellished, the finances of the Society will be maintained in a
flourishing state, and each Member will receive a handsome book
for his very small annual subscription.
With regard to the other points, we have heard a
great deal of the higher objects and considerations involved in
the pursuit of Archaeology, and therefore I shall not say one word
upon them; but I will briefly invite attention to the practical
benefits which result from the institution of such Societies as
this. These associations are all more or less instrumental in
encouraging a desire for, and in promoting, the progress of
education, and that improvement of which we are still much in
need. Until lately England was considered, in works of art
connected with taste, to be far behind her Continental neighbours,
but that distance is diminishing, and the opening of the Great
Exhibition, the Crystal Palace, the Manchester Exhibition,
the
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