ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.
19
of £100 annually, these two payments to commence from the date of the
agreement. The proportional instalments of the Annual Grants up to the
25th of December, 1898, have been paid to the Fund.
The necessary alterations in the Rules and the consent of the Club as a
body to the terms of the agreement were made and given at a Special
Meeting held on October 4th, 1898, which is fully reported in the last issue of
the Essex Naturalist (vol. x. pp. 406-407).
With reference to the removal of the Club's goods from Chelmsford and
the differences on matters of finance which had arisen, a Sub-Committee
(consisting of the Rev. R. E. Bartlett, Mr. T. V. Holmes, and Prof. R.
Meldola, with Mr. W. C. Waller as Hon. Secretary) was formed "for the
purpose (amongst other things) of reporting upon the best way of settling the
said differences whether by friendly arrangement, arbitration or otherwise."
The separation of the Club's goods from those formerly belonging to the
old Chelmsford Museum was made, and the Council decided that they should
at once be removed from Chelmsford. This was done on September 2nd last.
The question of the pecuniary liabilities attaching to each party was delegated
to the above-named Committee, with the addition of Mr. C. A, Copland
(Solicitor), on behalf of Mr. Chancellor, and Mr. Henry I. Coburn, Hon.
Solicitor to the Club, "to act as Arbitrators in the financial question, their
award to be final and binding on both the said Institutions." The award of
the Arbitrators was made on January 17th, 1899, and in the following words
(after recital) :—
" And whereas Frederic Chancellor, of Chelmsford, aforesaid Architect
(on behalf of the said Museum), and William Cole, of Knighton Villas,
Buckhurst Hill (on behalf of the said Club), have each submitted to us
certain statements of account and otherwise in reference to the said matter of
difference embodying the claims of the said Institutions respectively the claim
of the said Museum being in excess of the claim of the said Club. Now we
the undersigned as such arbitrators as aforesaid having duly considered the
said statements and the said matters in difference do hereby decide, award,
and adjudge that all accounts between the said Institutions shall be
considered as settled and closed without any payment being made by either
of the said Institutions to the other, and that all claims by each of the said
Institutions against the other in respect of the matters in difference or for
damages or otherwise shall be considered to be put an end to and extinguished."
This award was signed by all the members of the Committee, and must
be accepted as a final settlement.
The Council gave up possession of the rooms at Chelmsford on the 29th
of September, and they have taken premises at 9, Woodgrange Road, Forest
Gate, as a temporary storehouse and Curator's work-rooms pending the
completion of the new museum.
Mr. W. Cole, F.L.S., F.E.S., has been appointed Curator to the Museum
as from the 25th of July, 1898.
The Council and the members of Club have already recorded their most
cordial thanks to Mr. Passmore Edwards for his munificence, and also to the
Technical Instruction Committee of the Corporation of West Ham for the
enlightened view they have taken with regard to the establishment of the
Museum on a secure footing. The Council also wish to express their thanks