The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4221, 6 September 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1876.

Amono the numerous qusiiiiotia to which the abolition of Provincial institutions has given me, that relating to the future disposition of the education reserves of this Province m both interesting and Important, Upon its being pointed oat Iftftfc yfear ttiafc tie" effect «f tfce Abolition Act would be to vest the ftovl™ the in the governor a promise was immediately ve-ted m the Education Board; and act™-* on Jus promise, we presume, a Bill has been introduced fnto the H.-tl-e of Representatives by Mr Stout for the purpose of transferring to the Board all education reserves. For the present, the schedules of the Bill are left blank but it » intended to fill up the first wi?h those reserves for which Crown grants are now held by the Superintendent the second will comprise such reserves as have been made but not Crown granted! and 6uc h a 8 the ABBembl „&„* dv £ne tins session, authorise to be made purposes named in the Bill. These re serves are .

It is thus left to the Board to decide Whether the revenues derived from these lands, the area o* *hich is likely s™g

large, shall be thrown into a common stock and the money distributed yearly amongst the various institutions mentioned, or whether a permanent division of the land shall be made and the rents obtained from particular portions spent exclusively on certain objects. This seems too large a power to bestow upon the Hoard, and the policy of m xmg up endowments for institutions, which, althoq|h| of a cognate, are not of an identical character, is likWise open to exception. A grammar school and a museum are doubtless both educational institutions, yet they differ fiom one another in many important respects. The endowments should be specialised: a certain area of land should bo set apart for the, High School, (including the girls' as well' as the boys' school); a further area for the Museum, and so on ; leaving the management of the lands unaffected. It is, however, questionable whether the management of the Museum, together with its endowment, should not be devolved upon trustees, as is usually done in other countries ; although at the same time the public should be permitted to have - .j! in their appointment. We hav aversion to the Education " wi'Tw • control, no matter r- „.; £****• management of *' A uf" ft< is not like]- ■ "? Mtt»eum. The Assemblj Muser- 42? e!use a B rant oi land for tb< onr -*"* « the demand made is a moderate I •«>. A. slight hitch has occurred in th( Measures which were being taken for securint an endowment, owing to the Provincial Ex ecutive insisting upon asking for a genera endowment for all the purposes mentionec m this Bill, instead of a separate grant fo] the Museum, as the gentlemen who hav.

been moving m the matter originally proposed; but that difficuly could probably have been easily adjusted but for the indifference of certain members of the Executive to the maintenance of the Museum at all There does not appear to be any solid ground for the fear lest funds should be wanting to carry on the Museum during the ensuing twelve months. Sir Julius Vogel in replying to a question by Mr Stout' said "that provision would be made for taking, charge of the Museum until arrangements conld be made for a system of local management," but added that "it would not be convenient or desirable to endeavor to impose on the Consolidated Revenue charges of thisi kind,"from which ik is to be inferred that while the Government will refuse to support the Museum permanently out of the Ooasolidated Fund it will provide for its maintenance during the current year. Other clauses of the Bill are likewise calculated to provoke criticism. It confers upon the Board all the powers of the Waste Land Board in dealing with these lands, which it can sell at its pleasure, and invest the proceeds either in the purchase of other lands or npon mortgage of freehold property in this Province, or in colonial, Jcountry, or municipal debentures. But whatever may be thought about the latter provisions, the endowments ought certainly to be specialised.