RECON points touched upon in this Report, and their details. This Committee Book III, would be similar to that which the Trustees requested the Treasury to Chap. VII. appoint, by letter of the twentieth of June, 1829, and which was afterwards appointed by the Trustees themselves, with the approbation of their Lordships, to direct and superintend, not only the works then in JECTORS. progress, but those to be afterwards undertaken. On the tenth of February, 1862-after the communication of this Report to each of the Trustees individually— the recommendations of the Sub-Committee were unanimously approved, at a Special General Meeting of the Trustees, at which twenty-four members of the Board were present. After the adoption of the plans thus accepted, another Sub-Committee of Trustees was appointed to confer with the Treasury in order to their realisation. STRUCTORS AND PRO Correspond ence Relating Museum, No. to the British 97 of Session 1862. Before Parliament, this plan of severance and of rearrangement--after some modifications of detail which are too unimportant for remark-was supported, in 1862, with the whole influence of the Government. But it failed to win any adequate amount either of parliamentary or of public favour. Some men doubted if the estimated saving, as between building at Bloomsbury and building at Kensington, would or could be realized. Others denied that the evils or inconveniences attendant upon severance would be compensated by any adequate gain on other points. The popularity of the Natural History Collections ; the facilities of access to Great Russell Street; the weighty— though far from unanimous-expressions of opinion from THE PARLIA eminent men of science in favour of continuance and DEBATE OF enlargement, rather than of severance and removal; all 1862. these and other objections were raised, and were more or less dwelt upon, both in the House of Commons and in scientific circles out of doors, scarcely less entitled to discuss a national question of this kind. The Commons MENTARY BOOK III, Chap. VII. RECON STRUCTORS AND PROJECTORS. eventually decided against the project by their vote of the 19th May, 1862. Substantially, and in spite of small subsequent additions from time to time to the buildings at Bloomsbury— the question of 1862 is still the question of 1870. As I have said, it has been my object to state that question rather than to discuss it. Should it seem, after full examination, that good government may be better maintained, and adequate space for growth be efficiently provided, by enlarging the existing Museum, would it be worthy of Britain to allow the additional expenditure of a few scores of thousands of pounds an expenditure which would be spread over the taxation of many years—to preponderate in the final vote of Parliament over larger and more enduring considerations? In the session of 1866 Mr. Spencer WALPOLE spoke thus: You must either determine to separate the Collections now in the Museum, or buy more land in Bloomsbury. I have always been for keeping them together. I am, however, perfectly willing to take either course, provided you do not heap those stores one on another-as at present,' (July, 1866)—' in such a manner as to render them really not so available as they ought to be to those who wish to make them objects of study.' Few men are so well entitled to speak, authoritatively, on the questionbecause few have given such an amount of time and labour to its consideration. By every available and legitimate expression of opinion the Trustees have acted in the spirit of this remark, made almost four years since, by one of the most eminent of .their number. The words are, unfortunately, as apposite in March, 1870, as they were in July, 1866. GENERAL INDEX. ABBOT, George, Archbishop of Canter bury, 66, 70 Abercorn, Earl of. See Hamilton Adair, Sir Robert, 373 Eginæ, Vases and other Antiquities brought from, 386 seqq. Africa, Pre-historic and Ethnographical Albemarle, Duchess of. See Monk Allan-Greg Cabinet of Minerals, 606 Almanzi, Joseph, Hebrew Library of, 42 Amadei, Victor, Marbles from the Col lection of, 372 Amba-Bichoi, Biblical MSS. from the Monastery of, 615 seqq. America, Pre-historic and Ethnographical Collections from, 699 seqq. Anadhouly, Exploration by Sir Charles Fellows of, 644 Ancient Marbles in the British Museum, Description of the, 372 seqq. Anderson, Edmund (of Eyworth and Stratton), 132 Andréossi, Anthony Francis, Count, Researches in the Monasteries of Nitria of, 610 Angoulême, Duke of, 539 Anne, Queen of England, 207 seqq. Anne of Denmark, Queen Consort of James I, 153, 156, 166 Ansse de Villoisin, John Baptist, G. d', 455 Antiphellus, Researches of Sir Charles Fellows at, 644 Antiquités Etrusques, &c., 352 seqq. Argos, Vases and other Antiquities from, 386 Artas of Sidon, Ancient glasswork of, 709 seqq. Artemisia, Ancient Sculptures from the Assemani, Joseph Simon, and Stephen Assyrian Antiquities, First beginning of the Collection of, 401; Account of the Discoveries by Mr. Layard and his successors of, 629 seqq. Athanasius, Saint, Syriac Version of the Festal Letters of, 623 Athens, Researches of Lord Elgin at, B. BABER, Rev. Henry Hervey, M.A., Bacon, Francis, Viscount St. Alban's, is assisted by Sir R. Cotton in his Bankes, George, 441 Banks-Hodgkenson, J., 488 Banks, Sir Joseph, Bart., P.R.S., No- Barbier, Anthony Alexander, 455 Barnard, Sir Frederick Augusta, La- Barrington, Shute, Bishop of Durham, 420 Barth Cabinet of Gems, 691 Battely, William, 240 Bean, Rev. James, M.A., 544 Beattie, James, LL.D., Conversation with King George III of, 475 Beauclerc, Topham, 425 Biblical MSS. of the Nitrian Monas- Biliotti and Salzmann, Messrs., Ar chæological Researches of, in the Blacas, P. L. J. Casimir de, Duke of Blois, Earls of, Archives, now at Po mard, of the, 536 seqq. Bodley, Sir Thomas, and Sir R. Cotton, 332 Bolingbroke, Henry, Viscount. See St. Bolton, Edmund, 84 Borell, H. P., Collection of Greek and Roman Coins made by, 34 Bosset, Colonel de, Collection of Greek Coins made by, 25, 400 Botanical Collections, 267, 269, 277 seqq., 283, 295, 492 segg., 507 Botanical Collections in France, 260 seqq., 500 Botanical Collections in Germany and Botanical Studies in England, Notice of the rise and progress of, 259 seqq. Botanic Gardens at Chelsea, 275, 293, 297 Botanic Garden at Paris, 500 Botta, P. E., Assyrian Researches of, 616; his first and brilliant discoveries at Khorsabad, 629; his genial and liberal co-operation with Layard, 631, foot-note Boudaen, Peter, 255 Bourchier, Sir William, 539 Bowood in Wiltshire, Lord Shelburne's improvements at, 428 Bowring, J., Entomological Collection of, 51 Boyle, Robert, 275 Branchida, Ancient Sculpture brought Bridges' Zoological Collections made in Brienne, Henry Lewis de Lomenie de, British Museum, Chronological Epitome Brocas, William, 52 Bröndsted, Peter Olave, 399 Brougham, Henry, Lord Brougham and Vaux, 547 Brown, Robert, F.R.S., Keeper of Botany, Services of, 507, 508 Browne, William George, Researches in the Nitrian Monasteries of, 610 Bruce, Agnes, of Conington in Huntingdonshire, 49 Bruce, Thomas, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Archæological Explorations at Athens and in various other parts of Greece, 381-396; Notices of his Life and Public Career, ib., 400, 411; the controversy as to the archæological and artistical value of the Elgin Marbles, 411 seqq.; other national results of Lord Elgin's Embassy and Public Spirit, 439 Bruchmann's Fossils, 39 Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, Joseph Anthony, 500 Bryant, Jacob, 479 Bryaxis, Ancient Sculptures by, 665 Buchan, Mr., a Naturalist engaged in the Voyage of Banks and Cook, 493 Buckingham House and its History, 318 Buckland, William, D.D., 449 Burnet, Gilbert, Bishop of Salisbury, 133, 211 Burney, Charles, D.D., Notices of the Life, Labours, and Literary Character of, with Notices of his Manuscript and Printed Collections, 435-438; 440 seqq. Burney, Frances (afterwards Mme. d'Arblay), 475, 503 Burnouf, M., Researches on Assyrian Byron, George Gordon, Lord Byron, Autograph MSS. of, 458; Notice of the recent slander on the fame of, ib. |