THE Evening Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1992, 23 September 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1869.

The reputation, and consequent importance of a new country in the estimation of the outer world, are very greatly affected by the number, nature, and influence of its public institutions. If these be numerically large, catholic in their constitutions, and beneficial in their influence upon society at large, then the country that establishes and sustains them will of necessity command an amount of respect it would not be otherwise entitled to. This consideration must bo our apology, should any be considered necessary, for recurring again thus early to the subject specially treated of in our columns last evening. Otago has long enjoyed an honorable pre-eminence among thoother ! Provinces ef New Zealand on account of the number and successful operations of her numerous public and seraipublic institutions. But hitherto a want has been very sensibly felt of some association or society whose special object should be “ the promotion “ of art, science, literature, and philo- “ sophy," and now therefore that such an Association has been initiated amongst us, its failure or success must be regarded os in some sort a public calamity or a public good. The Otago Institute—whose avowed object is set forth in its “ Constitution M and Rules ” we have quoted above—very wisely resolved that one-third of its annual revenue should be applied “ towards the formation or support of “ a local Public Museum or Library ; ” and, in connection with the question of incorporation with the New Zealand Institute, it would be well for the members to resolve in their own minds how they intend to carry out this part of the Institute’s constitution. Shall the required third of revenue be applied year by year towards the “ for- “ mation ” of this essential local adjunct to its successful operations, or shall it be devoted towards the “ support ” of such an adjunct, supposing one to have been already formed to hand and available for the purpose 1 In the Otago Museum wo have a most valuable institution, requiting no further expenditure for its “ forraa- “ tion,” in the ordinary sense of that term; and—given that a select library of reference, and a moderate amount of scientific apparatus, be added—all the necessary appliances for a really successful prosecution of the most important work undertaken by the Otago Institute, would be possessed and enjoyed with such an approach to entire completion, as is rarely attained in any Colony or Province similarly situated. Under these circumstances, it seems to us that no effort should be spared with the view of so uniting these two bodies, if possible, under oue management, or at least upon some terms that would give accommodation to the Institute on the one hand, and on the other enable it to benefit the public at large, by turning the valuable contents of the Museum to more practical use, as affording the means of illustrating and enforcing oral or written efforts to impart scientific information. Supposing some such union as this could be effected, we cannot but think it would be wrong to prejudice the prospect of it by forcing on just now the question of incorporation with the New Zealand Institute. In saying this much we are by no means unmindful of the various undoubted advantages likely to accrue from such an incorporation, nor do we for a moment doubt that, by some modification of the present Act, incorporation—or rather “ affiliation,” which we like the idea of far better—might ultimately be attainable upon conditions not open to the serious objections in the way of its present accomplishment. At all events valuable time would be gained, and thus an opportunity be afforded to the members of showing to what extent they are themselves really desirous and also capable of working together effectively for the accomplishment of some of the objects set before them when unhampered by the conflict of opinion and uninterrupted by the intervention or interposition of dcbateable ground, which could be fought over only, at ft loss to each party in the conflict.

Among the numerous arguments employed by some of those favorable to incorporation at the present time few are supposed to be more weighty than that of “ securing the invaluable services “ of Dr Hector.” Now, while we are fully prepared to recognise to their fullest extent claims put forth by the mends,of Dr Hector, nevertheless when this particular argument has been employed in our faring,, we confess to a somewhat uncomfortable reminder of the matter of this gentleman’s engagement with this Province referred to at length in our columns a few evenings ago. Wealso confess to just a little suspicion that even in the event of these “ invaluable services ” being

so secured, the event might prove that often those who placed much expectation on the prospect of the many happy results to be attained therefrom, might in the sequel be doomed to experience the salutary reflections forced upon the victims of misplaced confidence. We regret that a sense of our public duty compels us again to refer to a topic by no means agreeable to us, but if the facts are as they were set forth in our columns—and of this we have no room for doubt seeing that we quoted on authority from public documents and newspaper reports which all may peruse —then we cannot help stating that the Province of Otago has good ground for complaint that so impor taut a compact should have been allowed thus long to be violated with impunity. Since writing the article we have referred to, and which appeared in our issue of September 16, we have received many representations, and from several different quarters, with the view of impressing upon our minds the conviction that we ought not to content ourselves with what we have already said in this matter. And certainly tho case, as it was put to us by one of our friends, seems to us a strong one, and we give it in his own words ;—“ Hang it,” said he, “an agreement is an agree- “ ment all the world over—is it not 1 ” Wo admitted that this, though not certainly a very “ profound truth,” was nevertheless one which, in our judgment, was of “ universal application,” But to this our friend replied—“ Not “ no—you are wrong there, for it is not “ so in the Province of Otago—>at least “ the Government don’t think so ; for “ while very stringent means are being “ taken by sending the police all “ over the country to collect a “ few paltry pounds from us “ assisted immigrants because we “ are bound by our agreement to re- “ fund the whole or part of our passage “ money, this other agreement has “ never been attempted to be enforced “at all, even though thousands of “ pounds’ worth of work has been paid “ for tinder it that has never been done. “ Now how is that!” We were compelled to reply, “ We really don’t know.” But, nevertheless, it does occur to us as a somewhat singular thing that the Province that insists upon its right to be refunded a matter of seven or eight pounds, advanced as an immigrant’s passage money, simply because the said immigrant was bound by agreement to pay it, should tamely submit to ignore another agreement, the contracting party to which was bound by such agreement to make “an accurate geo- “ logical survey of the Province,” and to hand over the result to the Superintendent, “with all necessary plans, “ sections,” &c., complete; more especially, when the faithful performance of' the terms of this latter agreement is guaranteed by a penalty of five hundred pounds.

To return for a moment to the “ invaluable services of Dr Hector," we have only to say, in conclusion, that whether they are. worth to the Colony what the Colony is now called upon to pay for them, we have but slender grounds on which to base an opinion. But we do think that, as regards this Province, it has been called upon to pay for much that has never been performed. That, notwithstanding successive Governments have made, on behalf of Dr Hector, repeated promises respecting the performance of it, to this day these promises have never been redeemed ; and therefore, until they are, we think this Province should try to do without any further services from the same quarter.