Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/420

 322 PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF Annual il*1cctmg, 1851. Held at Bristol, July 29th, to August 5th. The first annual assembly of the Institute, held in the western parts of England, in compliance with the wishes of many members of the Society, assembled at Oxford, in the previous year, commenced in the city of Bristol on Tuesday, July 29th. The Municipal authorities liberally placed at the disposal of the Institute the Council House and Guildhall, with the adjoining buildings, commodiousl}^ situated for the occasion ; and the proceedings of the week were opened with the customary inaugural meeting. At twelve o'clock the President, the Lord Talbot de Malahide, accom- panied by John Scandrett Harford, Esq. (President elect), with several eminent foreign archaeologists and members of the Institute, were received by the Mayor, Sir Johx Kerle Haberfield, the Town Clerk, Chamberlain, and civic authorities ; and proceeded to the Guildhall. The chair was taken by Lord Talbot, who addressed the assembly, observing how highly gratified he felt in witnessing the cordiality with which the Institute had been welcomed in that ancient and celebrated city, eminent by the leading position it had long sustained as connected with the extension of commercial enterprise, and by the leading part which it had taken in those great struggles tiu-ough which had been perfected the constitution of our country. His duty, on the present occasion, was to transfer to their future President, the authority with which he had been invested since the untimely and lamented decease of their late noble friend and patron, the Marquis of Northampton. It was impossible that any person should have taken part in any of those numerous institutions for the extension of scientific, literary, or artistic objects, to which their late President had constantly given the most efficient support, without feeling in the most lively manner how great was the loss they had sustained. Lord Talbot alluded to his first attendance at the meeting of the British Association, when he had met Lord Northampton in that very city, and had witnessed the ardour with which he engaged in promoting every scientific purpose. He then, in pre- senting to the Institute their future President, adverted to the efiicieucy and the zeal with which he had long-time promoted every literary and scientific interest in that city ; and especially to the energetic piirt which Mr. Harford had constantly taken in preserving the public monuments and works of art which formed some of the most attractive objects there pre- sented to the notice of the Society. The active and liberal impulse which he had given to the admirable restorations of St. Mary Redclifie, had fully evinced his cordial sympathies with all who desired to preserve natioual antiquities, and to advance the purposes for which the Institute had been constituted. Jonx Scandrett Harforb, Esq., then took the Chair. He expressed the satisfaction which he felt, in common with many distinguished inhabit- ants of Bristol, in offering a cordial welcome to a Society devoted to the investigation of objects, of which the interest was daily more truly and extensively appreciated. He alluded with much feeling to the circum- stances under which he had assented to take the position which he now occupied, at the especial request of his lamented friend, lately their