The Globe. SATURDAY, JUNE 6 1874.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 6, 6 June 1874, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, JUNE 6 1874.

In the Provincial Council, on Thursday evening last, the following amended resolution was carried on the voices : “ That the resolution of the Council “ passed on June 2nd, 1874, with re- “ ference to the Museum, be forwarded “ to his Honor the Superintendent, to “ be laid before the governing body of “ that institution.” It appears from the short debate on the motion that the Museum trust has not yet been handed over and Mr Montgomery informed the House that it would probably be very near the end of the Session before the Museum trustees met to consider the matter. It seems, therefore, that the public will have to wait at least three weeks before they can gain admission to the Museum on Sunday, even if the truestees are inclined to fall in with the views expressed by the Council, and if they are not, it is not improbable that a much longer time may elapse before those views are carried out. The only remedy that appears, in case the trustees should set themselves against the Council, was suggested by Mr Montgomery, who informed the members that they could take action on the estimates for the Museum being brought under discussion. But supposing the trustees not to meet before before the estimates have been passed, is it possible for these gentlemen to defy the Council, and thereby the expressed opinion of the public, and refuse admittance to visitors on the Sunday P We hope this matter will be thoroughly understood, and that no estimate for keeping up the Museum may be parsed, until the point of admission on the first day of the week is finally settled. It may be said that it would be absurd to deny a sum for the support of a collection, which has been gathered together with the expenditure of so much valuable time, and money, and which stands alone in ISew Zealand, and as far as one of the most interesting parts of it goes (viz., the collections of the skeletons of the Moa tribe) in the world ; but if this collection is to be virtually under the centrol of some dozen gentlemen, without reference to the public, then it must be regarded as a private collection of their own,, and public nioney “mustl not vo«ed for its support. It will be remembered that as long ago as June sth, 1873, the following motion was carried by a majority of seven —“ That the Council is of opinion that the Museum should be open to the public every ‘Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.mnineteen members voting in favor of the motion and twelve against it. No action was taken by the trustees to carry out the wish of the Council, and as that motion was passed exactly one year ago, we may doubt, if after so long carried the day, the gentlemen in question will not think themselves secure in a further defiance of public opinion. We sincerely trust that by the end of the session they may be brought to reason either by argument or by the pressure which the Council can undoubtedly put upon them by stopping the supplies.