PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1953, 28 May 1880, Page 3

PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

The annual conversazione in connection with the Philosophical Institute of Canrerbury was held last evening in the old Provincial buillings. This pleasant gathering has become one of the most important of our instil utions in this part of the country, and is looked forward to from year to year with peculiar interest by all who thoroughly appreciate its significance as a mirror, so to speak, wherein one may see reflected the gradual progress made by the land of our adoption in the arts and sciences, as well as in the more practical walks of life. In this way the event possesses not only groat local interest, but is of considerable importance in a general or colonial sense, as affording evidence of our increased material prosperity, followed by a higher order of education, and the many good results that arise out of such advance mont. These remarks may be considered specially applicable to the conversazione of 1880, it being more particularly devoted to exhibits illustrative of the progress made in constructive art within the colony, whereas the exhibitions of former years partook to a much larger extent of the general or miscellaneous charater. Therefore, it may fairly be asserted that whilst in all respects up to the standard of former years, it was, in the respect mentioned, especially, a most unqualified success, and reflected the greatest possible credit on all concerned in the attainment of such a satisfactory result. The committee and their secretary, Mr G. Gray, of the Canterbury Laboratory, were most indefatigable in the discharge of their duties, in which regard the president, Mr Dobson, in particular, was most active during the progress of the whole of the arrangements, and exceedingly obliging in affording information to those who found it necessary to seek his assistance and advice. The rooms were divided as nearly as possible in the same manner as last year, the hall being fitted up as the drawing room. Mr White kindly supplied the furniture and fittings, and the credit is due to him of laying out the room in a most admirable manner, fitted with every requisite for comfort and elegance combined. Mr A. Duncan supplied the floral decorations, which were arranged with considerable taste, and in addition to this that gentleman contributed a large number of pot plants and flowers, which were distributed about the various compartments, but principally served to decorate the main corridor and drawing room. The refreshments were catered for by Mr Gee, who carried out all the necessary arrangements of that department, under the superintendence of the sub committee, and the result proved very satisfactory. The band engaged for the occasion, under the leadership of Mr Button, played in the small atone gallery, and rendered some well selected pieces in excellent style during the evening. By nine o’clock the chamber was crowded with ladies and gentlemen, and presented a most brilliant appearance; and, on every hand, remarks encomiastic of the surroundings could be heard. At the hour named, the promenading and the hum of voices ceased for a time, to give a hearing to the President, who then delivered the usual address.

Mr E. Dobson, as president of the institute, then delivered a short address to those present. He began by observing that a change had been made this year in a portion of the arrangements, which he had no doubt would be considered satisfactory. It was this, that the annual address, which was necessarily of a somewhat technical character, had been delivered at an ordinary meeting of the Philosophical Institute, and therefore they were enabled to dispense with the formal address at the conversazione, and he should limit the speech he had to make as a necessary part of the ceremonies to a very few words. In the first place, he must express his satisfaction that, as one of the oldest settlers in Canterbury, it had been his privilege to welcome so many visitors to-night on behalf of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, in the sixteenth year of its establishment. Next Christmas would bring round the thirtieth anniversary of the landing of the first batch of Canterbury settlers, and when they looked round that beautitul hall and saw the many evidences of material prosperity, of taste and culture, which surrounded them on every side, they might well be pardoned if they felt proud of their adopted country and of the intelligent men and fair women who had been growing up in our midst since the landing of their pilgrim fathers. He would now state a few facts as to the position of the society for the information of the visitors. The value of the work done by the society was not so much to be measured by the number of members who assembled at the ordinary meetings, or by the pleasure derived at such a meeting as that of to-night. Pleasant and instructive as these gatherings were, the real work of such an institution as this consisted in its offering a means of permanently recording an immense number of scientific details which, although in many cases apparently trivial and of little moment, yet in reality formed the groundwork of any important investigations. Anyone who would glance at the list of essays in the volumes of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute would see of what value might ultimately become the papers on the changes (akin? place in the fauna and fl ira of the country since its settlement by Europeans. In addition to that, the establishment of a fund for the purchase of scientific papers and valuable books of reference could not be regarded as otherwise than a valuable aid of scientific education. He would hero point out that there were many who did not care to became members because they did not care to devote time to attend meetings, or because the subjects treated did not happen to fall in the groove of their special studies, who would feel it not only a pleasure but a privilege to belong to the society, if they came to realise the amount of permanent good which was being effected in the quietest and most unobtrusive way through its operations. He might also be permitted to point out, in this connection, that if the efforts of the Council were to eff.-ct any good it was necessary that membership should be looked upon as a permanent matter, and not to be dropped or resumed like the membership to a circulating library. And he would take this opportunity of stating that those members who wished to withdraw from the society should certify to that effect in writing to the secretary at the commencement of the session, and those who wish to continue their membership should forward their subscriptions at an early date, in order to enable the Council to ascertain their position financially, otherwise the orders for now books from Home must necessarily bo delayed till the middle of the session. This year, for instance, the Council proposed to send an order for books to the extent of £IOO, but deferred doing so till they wore able with some certainty to calculate the amount of subscriptions to be relied upon. He (Mr Dobson) then proceeded to give a brief summary of the exhibits in the different departments, making special reference to such os indicated the progress made of late years in the colony in constructive art. The company, numbering about two hundred, then devoted themselves to the enjoyment of the hour, the time passing rapidly in pleasant conversation, and the inspection of the seemingly numberless objects of interest by which they were surrounded on all hands. It would be impossible in the limited space at our disposal to give anything approaching to a detailed description of the exhibits, so many of which might bo carefully examined with the greatest pleasure and profit ; and where so much excellence in endless variety presented itself, the greater difficulty is to select any to which the preference should be given for prominence in a cursory review. To summarise, however, under these disadvantages, it may be stated that the drawing-room was filled w'th exhibits of science and art, all more or lees novel, and showing pretty clearly—to paraphrase the remark of Hamlet to Horatio—that there are more things in Canterbury (denoting astounding progress in scientific knowledge and the application of mechanics) than are dreamt of in the philosophy of a large section of the inhabitants. In one portion of the room de-

voted to scientific apparatus, there were a number of instruments, some of them possessing the very latest improvements, used in surveying operations, and in this collection stood the largo 2ft. transit used for setting out the tunnel, in the construction of the line from Christchurch to Lyttelton. From these the eye turned upon innumerable objects of interest, exhibits of various kinds being ranged on tables in the centre of the chamber, including specimens, jewellery and delicate pieces of mechanism used in the different branches of science, whilst the walls were hung with maps and plans and photographic views ef celebrated scenes. Stepping from the hall to the corridor the visitor found specimens of building material, pottery work from well-known local manufacturers, and ohinaware, all of the finest quality, and giving an idea most welcome to the mind of the success attending the prosecution of local industry in our midst. The room known as Bellamy’s, downstairs, was devoted to exhibits in machinery of different kinds, amongst which were noticeable some novel inventions by well-known local celebrities in the school of science; maps and plans of works constructed by local contractors, and designs of other engineering works. Among these should be mentioned some really beautiful drawings; on a large scale by two youths, namsly, Herbert A. Dobson (son of Mr E. Dobson) and H. Bilton, both of whom are apprentices in Mr John Anderson’s Foundry, and who gained each a prize medal for mechanical drawings at the Melboure Exhibition. In this room a model was exhibited of the Lyttelton dock, which, it may be stated, is the largest graving dock in the southern seas, and a number of other articles of absorbing interest too numerous to mention. In the survey department, which was the third and last room devoted to the purposes of the conversazione, there were exhibits of a particular class, which, perhaps for many, would have a greater attraction than all the other wonders put togethes. These consisted of drawings and plans of public works undertaken, showing the vast extent of operations involved in the public service for years past, of survey plans, giving minute details of the country, of maps representing different parts of Canterbury, which were drawn at different periods in the history of the province, among this latter collection being a map of Canterbury, lithographed by the late Mr Davie, once Chief Surveyor to the Province, and dated 1850, and a French map of Akaroa drawn in 1848, some thirty-two years ago. To revert for a moment to the main hall, we may mention an exhibit of great interest owing to its rare antiquity, being no loss than a collection of mediaeval documents relating to land transactions in the county|of Norfolk, England ; some of these documents (in accordance with an ancient custom) contain leaves, grass, and hay, representing what is known in law as “ livery of seisin,” —and one of them (a specimen of conveyance) dated back as far as 1488. As relics of historical occurrences, these are of groat value. They were exhibited by Mr Stanley Edwards. As before stated, however, it would bo utterly impossible to do anything like justice to the subject in such a brief description, and we have avoided the invidious plan of attempting a description in detail where so many objects of importance and value as exhibits must necessarily be overlooked, or at least left unrecognised. Suffice it to say, therefore, that the conversazione of 1880 was a decided success in every sense, and more particularly so, as previously stated, in affording a striking illustration of the progress made in constructive art.