THE OTAGO MUSEUM.

Evening Star, Issue 4201, 14 August 1876, Page 2

THE OTAGO MUSEUM.

A deputation consisting of his Worship the Mayor, Archdeacon Edwards, the Bev, B. L. Stanford. Professor Coughtrey, Messrs E. B. Cargill. J L. Gillies, B. Isaac, J. 8. Webb,}B. Gillies, H. S.’ Chapman, and W. D. Murisou, waited upon his Honor the Depnty-Snperintendent to-day. ... T . he Mayor briefly introduced the deputation and their object thus: —Your Honor, we come here as a deputation appointed at a meeting held in the Proviuciul Council Hall on Friday to consider the position of the Otago Museu n, and how it should be supported in future. The was a series of resolutions moved atthat meeting. (The resolutions were J'ea.'l) Your Honor, of course, is no dbnbt aware that the bm ding is now being erected with the funds provided by the Provincial Council-some-thing about L 8.000,1 think—which will leave the Museum in an unfinished state, probably it would have the outward portion but the internal part would not he provided for at all Therefore, it is calculated that a sum of 1,2 000 will be required for that purpose. So far as the suggestion of the endowment and land was concerned, we hoped to be able to secure the Executive’s co-operation. The Canterbury people have been able to secure a very valuable endowment, and we hope to be able to induce the Provincial Executive to take such steps to bring such influence to bear upon the General Government that there will bo no difficulty in securing an immediate vote of L 2,000, and an endowment of land, which will maintain It in the future. Mr Cbapxan said that for the purposes of an endowment, L 1.500 annually would be They required permanent endowment which would yield that i entol| or else an o-rmnal vote. Mr J. 1,. Gillies considered that the honor of the Province was involved. It would be a lasting disgrace to the Province if, for the sake of a paltry sum of L2.C00, the building was to remain as it now stood.

His Honor said he had great pleasure in assuring the deputation that his sympathies were entirely with the proposals they had laid before him. He would, of course, have to submit the matter to the Executive, but he felt that they heaitily concurred with him. That beta* so he would take the opportunity of forwarding the resolutions with a very strong recommendation Wellington by the earliest steamer. With the 1i3,000 vote a sum would le required for expenses for tha current year. On September. 30 the Provincial Council’s vote transpired, ud unless the As-cmWy i lac id a sum on the Estimates there would be [nothin? to continue the supply to the Museum with. It seemed to him that this was w 'B bringing them practically face to face with abolition. Nothing showed them more strongly how by being ruled by a Ceutml Government they had to ask favors from which thav could demand os a matter of right and justice. Out of two million acres of land set aside for reserves by the Provincial Council «n#ii had been Withheld except for half a million acres ior educational purposes. This made him feel down- : cast as to the prospect of the endowment asked for being granted 5 but, seeing that the Executive eononrred with him, he would instruct the surveyor to select a block of land which would produce the amount required. He repeated his assertion that what the Executive could do would b« done towards highly desirable Institution. The Matob, oa behalf of the deputation, thanked his Honor for the expression of thorough sympathy on behalf of the Executive and himsSf. He thought that they had little cause to fear, but that the Executives s recommendation, backed un bv the influential meeting held that day, would secure them the vote at once.