The Powys-Land Club in account with Peter Arthur Beck, Esq., Mr. Richards for Printing Report of Meeting, and Supplementary Part Ditto for Printing Part XXII ... Ditto for Printing Part XXIII ... ... Paid for Drawing and Lithographing Illustrations, Printing Circulars and Covers, and exceptional payment for Literary Labour to T. W. H. £18 6 3 02 50 3 3 53 15 6 11 10 9 Paid for Carriage of Parcels from Mr. Richards of Reports and Parts XXII and XXIII and Postage of same to Members; also of back Parts to New Members; Postage of Circulars, collecting Subscriptions, and remitting same ... Paid Balance due on the Building Account of Powys-land 10 16 1 85 13 2 Hon. Treasurer, for the year commencing 1st October 1877, 12 Subscriptions from Original Members at 10s. 6d. each 154 Subscriptions from Ordinary Members at £1 1s. each 1 New Member, 5 years' subscriptions ... ... 550 550 Subscriptions of next year received in advance from 8 Members who last year, or previously, paid this year's Subscription in advance. 18 Continuing and Deceased Members, in arrear, amounting to £23 3s. Od. 1878, October. By Balance in hand brought down It was mentioned in the circular calling the meeting that a communication had been received from the Secretary of the Cambrian Archæological Association, announcing that the next annual meeting of that Society would be held in Welshpool in the month of August next, and inviting the co-operation of the Powys-land Club. It is recommended that a committee be appointed by the Powys-land Club, for making arrangements, in conjunction with any other persons interested, for giving the Cambrian Archæological Association a suitable reception. This, it is conceived, is a duty the Powys-land Club owes to its parent society. The committee are glad to report that instalments of three parochial histories are in hand, and will appear in the next part of the Montgomeryshire Collections, viz., Trefeglwys, Llanymynech, and Pennant Melangel. Further instalments of the parochial histories of Llanidloes, Welshpool, and Kerry, will also, it is hoped, be shortly ready for publication. These six parochial histories, when completed, with the ten already completed, viz. : will make a total of sixteen, fully one-third of the number of the ancient parishes in the county of Montgomery. The Powys-land Club may, doubtless, be congratulated that so much has been done in this branch of its prescribed work, which, by many, is regarded as the most important of its operations. The fact, however, that two-thirds of the parishes, so far as parochial histories are concerned, are still almost untouched, requires to be kept in mind, and is mentioned in this report, in the hope that the members and supporters of the club may be induced to enter into this interesting branch of the club's work, and supply, wholly or in part, histories of the remaining parishes. The Committee trust this will be done without interfering with the production of other articles on antiquarian subjects, such as those which have already appeared in the Montgomeryshire Collections. The TREASURER then read an abstract of his financial statement. (See pages xii and xiii.) The EARL OF Powis (the president) moved: "That the reports now read be printed and circulated amongst the members", and in doing so said the principal event to be looked forward to next year was the proposed visit of the Cambrian Archæological Association, who were about to return after the lapse of twenty-two years. How quickly the time had passed. He hoped they would have better weather, and not be confined to the town by rain, as they had been the last time. At all events, in the Muscum the Powys-land Club would be able to offer some new features of interest. As antiquaries they could not pass over without notice the erection of Cleopatra's Needle on the Thames Embankment, through the liberality of an individual, Dr. Erasmus Wilson. It had been offered to the nation many years ago in memory of our Egyptian campaign under Sir Ralph Abercromby, but had been suffered to lie neglected on the shore. The putting it up and bringing it over the sea was a credit to our engineers, though we must not forget that both Imperial and Papal Rome have transported several such monuments to the Eternal City, with mechanical and marine appliances of a far inferior quality. He thought we might easily carry too far the appropriation of monuments from other countries. The stripping the walls of the Parthenon of their friezes was scarcely defensible, though the Elgin Marbles were a great treasure of Art. At the period, 1815, when the question arose whether the French should be compelled to restore the pictures and statues they had wrested from other countries, Lord Castlereagh said if they retained them they would consider them as the title deeds of the kingdoms from which they had been taken. He hoped the most jealous Frenchman would not imagine that in at length setting up the Cleopatra's Needle we were hankering after either the flesh-pots of Egypt or its canals. At all events, the antiquary and traveller, as he gazed upon it with admiration, would no longer view it dejected and prostrate on the shore, recalling the lament of Virgil over the steersman of Æneas Nudus in ignotâ, Palinure, jacebis arenâ. Captain MYTTON seconded the resolution, which, upon being put to the meeting, was unanimously carried. Mr. R. E. JONES, with a few appropriate remarks, moved "That a committee be appointed to make arrangements, in conjunction with any other persons interested, for giving the Cambrian Archæological Association a suitable reception, and that such committee do consist of all persons members of both the Powys-land Club and the Cambrian Archæological Association, and such other persons as shall signify their wish to act upon such Committee." The Rev. D. P. LEWIS, in seconding the resolutions, alluded to the last meeting which the Cambrian Archæological Association held at Welshpool in 1856, when they were particularly unfortunate in having wet weather, and expressed the hope that they would be more fortunate at the ensuing meeting. When the Cambrian Archæological Association meets in any town, it is advisable to appoint a committee to make all the necessary arrangements for the meeting, to lay out plans for the expeditions, to engage the necessary conveyances, to arrange with an hotel keeper as to providing the usual public dinner, and to take charge of the articles of curiosity and archæological interest which friends in the neighbourhood may kindly send to the museum, which is the necessary accompaniment of these gatherings. In 1856, on the occasion of the Cambrian Archæological Association's last visit to Welshpool, an influential committee was formed, consisting of many of the most prominent gentlemen residing in the town and neighbourhood. A large part of the labour of that committee will be rendered far less onerous to its successors by the establishment of the Powys-land Museum-a Museum which has gathered to itself many of the most interesting articles, in an archæological point of view, to be met with in Montgomeryshire. Still there are many others of the greatest value, which the owners may kindly lend for the week of the Society's meeting. This was done most generously in 1856, and he trusted a like spirit of liberality would prevail in 1879. During the last twenty-two years some of our most ready supporters have passed away, but their places are worthily supplied by other zealous archæologists. So effective were the papers read and the discussions that followed, that many of the inhabitants of this town assured him if their character had been more generally known many more persons would have become members for the week, and would have attended the evening meetings. May the meeting in 1879 prove increasingly successful. The motion was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Major COBBETT then moved "That the best thanks of the meeting be given to the Chairman for presiding." The Rev. D. R. THOMAS, in seconding the motion, said he supposed that it was as Secretary of the Cambrian Archæological Association he had been asked to speak, and therefore he would confine himself to the subject of their next June meeting at Welshpool. The Association having been in existence for more than thirty-two years, and migrating according to its fashion every year from one part of the country to another, they had held meetings in all the counties of Wales, in some of them several times; a few of its chief towns had been twice visited, so that, as the Chairman had truly remarked, there was an occasional difficulty as to where it would be best to meet next time. It was twenty-two years since their previous meeting at Welshpool, and a strong feeling was expressed at Lampeter that another meeting ought to be held here. For not only had there been many changes in the list of members during the interval, but those who had attended on that occasion would remember very well that the weather had been most unfavourable, so that the places visited fell far short of those sketched out in the programme of the meeting. Practically, therefore, it would be to a large proportion of the members a new meeting place. But it would be by no means unworked ground. The Powys-land Club had in the interval done a great work in elucidating the local history and illustrating its antiquities, and of this store the Cambrian Archæological Association hoped to reap the benefit. Of one thing they would be sure, that with this admirable museum, whatever the weather would prove to be, there would be no lack of occupation. Indeed the Association had adopted a new line in this respect. Feeling that after long excursions and hard days, sufficient attention had not been given to the contents of the local museum, they had resolved to give more time and prominence to this part of their programme, and to invite those best acquainted with their contents to draw the members' |