THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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Council. The hope of financial support from Chelmsford and its neighbour-
hood, upon the expectation of which the settlement of our Museum in that
town, and the amalgamation of the old Chelmsford Museum Society with the
Club were based, has hitherto proved to be wholly fallacious. The Club has
raised a fund of about £150, the whole of which sum has been expended upon
the Museum, and the annual cost of rent, Sub-Curator's salary, &c., on the
average of the three years ending 1893 was about £60, and this without
making any allowance for the Hon. Curator's railway fares, which, if paid,
would amount to £20 more. It is quite obvious that the Club cannot bear
such a drain upon its resources without very considerable compensating
advantages, and the Council has long since come to the conclusion, as stated
in Mr. Howard's Presidential Address last year, that the position of affairs
required very careful consideration. Without further considerable expendi-
ture it will be impossible to open the Museum to the public. In September last
a small Committee was formed at Chelmsford for the purpose of raising a
sum of at least £50 in order to enable the Council to open the Museum.
Unfortunately this Committee failed to attain its objects, and it has since been
dissolved. The earnest attention of the officers and several other members of
the Council having been given to this important matter, at last, at a meeting on
March 2nd, the following resolutions were submitted to, and were
unanimously passed, by the Council at a numerously attended meeting :—
Essex County Natural History Museum.
Resolutions passed at a Meeting of the Council of the Essex Field Club on
March 2nd, 1897.
(1.) That this Club do negotiate with the Corporation of Chelmsford
for carrying on the County Natural History Museum, at Chelmsford,
generally upon the following scheme, subject to any alterations which
may be considered desirable :—
(2). The Essex Field Club is unable to maintain its County Natural
History Museum unless it receives Financial assistance from outside
bodies or from one or other of the public bodies of the County.
(3.) The following conditions are necessary for the maintenance of
the Museum :—
(a.) That the "Public Body" will provide a suitable building
or set of rooms for the Museum, rent free, and will also
provide for the caretaking, warming, and lighting of the
Museum. And that the "Public Body" will also make
a grant towards the Curating of the Museum.
(b.)—The Essex Field Club will undertake the scientific manage-
ment of the Collections.
The Club will do its utmost to add to the collections and to
raise a Fund for the purchase of museum appliances,
specimens, &c.
That portion of the collections contributed by the Essex Field
Club to remain the property of the Club ; that portion
contributed by the "Public Body" to remain the
property of that body