40
THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
about 10,000 slips, containing all the usual information required for
such a work. It was agreed in the first instance that when completed
the manuscripts should be offered to the Essex Field Club for
publication. This has been done, but the Committee of the Club,
feeling that it was too serious a matter to undertake alone, invited
the Essex Archaeological Society to join them. This has been agreed
to, and the MSS. are now being edited, but I fear very slowly, as
it requires continuous application, which we cannot expect any of our
members to give ; before therefore the matter is in the hands of the
printers we shall have to put the matter in the hands of some compe-
tent man to get it into shape, and it ought not to be very difficult to
get the necessary funds for this purpose.
And this brings me to a matter which has been talked about for
some little time since, but has never, I believe, been publicly sug-
gested. I allude to the amalgamation of the Essex Archaeological
Society with the Essex Field Club. It would be extremely difficult
to say where the functions of the Archaeological Society end and
where those of the Essex Field Club begin. In one of the Field
Days of the Club fixed for the purpose of examining the Flora and
the Geology and the Natural History of a particular district, would
it be possible to prevent discussion upon an ancient camp, which
might be come across in the course of the ramble, or would the
members be prohibited from walking round and into an interesting
Mediaeval Church or building which appeared before them ? And yet
it might be said if they did so they were poaching upon the manor
of the Archaeological Society. No doubt there is a good deal to be
said on both sides of the question, but I am not sure whether by
joining our forces and so saving one set of establishment expenses we
might not be able to do more with the same amount of money than
is now done by the Societies acting separately. If it is considered
desirable there ought not to be any great difficulty in carrying out
the amalgamation.
Another matter which I think I may fairly allude to upon this
occasion, because I think some members of this Club are the chief
conspirators, is the establishment of "The Essex Review." To
quote from the Editorial Preface in the first number ; "The object
of 'The Essex Review' is to gather up into one publication all
matters of permanent interest relating to the prosperity of history
and literature of our County. Its aim is to be an instructive, inter-
esting, accurate, and convenient record of facts collected into a