BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2212, 29 March 1881, Page 3

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College was held yesterday at 3 p.m. Present —Mr W. Montgsmery (obairman), Rev. O. Eraser, Messrs W. Reeves, W. J. W. Hamilton, R. W. Fereday, H. J. Tancred, T. H. Potts, J. N. Toes will, J. V. Col-borne-Veel, O. O. Bowen, E. Wakefield and F. de C. Malet.

A letter of apology for non-attendancs was read from Mr H. R. Webb, stating that owing to the meeting of his Board of Directors taking place on the same afternoon he was unfortunately unable to be present. Mr Weob also stated that he had paired with Mr Stevens on the question of Mr Reeves' motion.

The Chairman reported that the headmaster and seoond master of the Boys' High School, Messrs Miller and Hoghen, had arrived from England. He was given to understand that a deputation was present that day to wait on the Board as regarded the opening of the Library on Sundays, composed of gentlemen appointed at the recent meeting, and from the Sunday School Union. If it was the wish of tho Board the deputation which was now present might be heard at once.

It was resolved that the deputation be received at once.

Messrs O. B. Taylor, J. Anderson, Booth, and S. 0. Farr were the members of the deputation. Mr J. Anderson said that they were a deputation appointed at a meeting held on Friday last to protest against the further lecularisation of the Sabbath. Several resolutions were then pissed, which they had now come before the Board to submit. He would ask the seeretary to read the resolutions. Mr 8. 0. Farr then read the resolutions panned at the meeting held on Friday last, at the Oddfellows' Hall, which have already been published. The Chairman then asked if any member of the deputation desired to address the Board on the subjeot. Mr John Anderson said that he could add but little to what was stated in the resolutions. The meeting—whioh was a large one—had come to the conclusion that the opening of the library on Snnday was not a good tblng in the intorests of religion and morality. He might say that he had to apologise for the absence of Mr Twentyman, who could not be present. Mr Booth said he desired to add that the meeting was composed not only of those who opposed the opening of the library on religious grounds, but of those who opposed it on the ground of inexpediency. Mr O. B. Taylor, as a deputation from the Sunday-school Union, desired to add his opinion, as representing a large number of Sunday-school children and teachers, as to the inexpediency of opening the Library on Senday. Ho would desire to ask that if Mr Reeves' notice of motion was to be brought forward that day that the Board should postpone its final decision for a while yet in order that public opinion might bo still further tested on the matter.

The Chairman said he could assure tho deputation that any representation coming before the Board from earnest men and oitizens in high repute with their fellows, such as the gentlemen forming the deputation, would receive the most earnest and careful consideration at the hands of that Board. They were there to do their duty to the public as trustees of a large public estate, and he could assure them that the only object the Board had in view was to do that which in their opinion was the best for the whole body of the (jublio. Mr Fereday asked Mr Anderson whether tho meeting at whiob. they were appointed was not a largo one. Mr Anderson replied in the affirmative. Mr Fercday then asked whether there were any counter speeches made, or any opinions expressed opposed to the resolutions pasted. Mr Anderson said he believed not; but, ho also believed that there was no opportunity offered, as the meeting waa convened as one of those opposed to the opening of the Library on Sundays, or, rather, in favour of maintaining tho Sunday intact aa a day of rest.

Tho deputation, after thanking the Board for tho courtesy extended to them, retired. Mr Reeves, pursuant to notice, then moved —" That it ia expedient to open the readingroom an;l reference library on Sundayß, between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m. and 7 and 9 p.m." Ho said that the library committee wero placed in this unfortunate position that, for two meetings they were not able to explain tho reasons which had led them to como to tho unanimous resolution they had done to recommend the Board of Governors to open tho Library, &3., on Sundays. He himself had been absent in another part of the province, and on one occasion tho Board had adjourned tho consideration of tho subject, whilst on the other there had been a count out. This was the moro unfortunate as a false impression as to the reasons why this was so had got into tho mind of the public on the subject. The reasons which had induced tho committee to arrive at the conclusion they had could bo told in a few words. First, they felt, as trustees of the Library for the publio, that they were bound to give those who could not perhaps attend at other times, or who were from force of circumstances without hoiness of their own, an opportunity of reading the

valuable work* there oolleoted. Again, the committee felt that the cause of morality and order would bo served by the opening of the Library, and that so far from running counter to the cause of religion and morality, _it would, they believed, go hand in hand with those who were solicitous to conserve the good morals of the oommunity. As regarded the objection by some of the members on the Board that no pledge had been given that the servanta of the Governors would not be forced to work on the Sabbath, he was glad to be able to say that this difficulty had been overcome. Funds had been arranged for to pay for attendance, and several volunteers had already placed their services at the disposal of the committee, and the regular servants of the Governors would not be called upon to do anything save one oaretaker, who had volunteered to attend to turn off the gas at the close of the day. As regarded the religious aspect of the question, he could not see for the life of him anything in the arguments advanced by those gentlemen who had spoken at the meeting. They seemed to him to stand forth to give their interpretation of what should be the method of spending their Sabbath. They desired to enforce the Jewish interpretation of the Sabbath, whilst he claimed for themselves a more glorious inheritance than this in the Christian Sabbath, and he must decline for one to give up this liberty. Now let him just say this, that he was quite at one with those gentlemen who had spoken at the meeting and who had also attended there that day as a deputation, because one of their resolutions as he understood it, laid it down that the Sabbath should be a complete day of reat, except for works of necessity or mercy. This being so, he should claim these gentlemen as supporters of his resolution, because the work they proposed to take up was essentially one of mercy. Again, the complaint had been made that if the Library were opened on Sunday it would only be a resort for larrikins. Now, anyone who had studied the history of the large cities in the other colonies must have seen that this very question of larrikinism was one of the greatest of the day—one which was claiming the most earnest attention of all those who had the welfare of the community at heart. The young men of these cities had nothing on Sunday between the churches and chapels, to whioh they did not go, and the streets. But here the Board proposed to provide them with the means of profitably spending the spare time which otherwise they would spend in the streets, or worse places. They proposed to afford them the means of innocent recreation, and therefore he said that they would by these means keep them from larrikinism. On these grounds he felt that he had a right to say that the resolution, if carried out, would go hand in band with the cause of religion and order, which the deputation had so much at heart, and he therefore begged to move the resolution of which ho had already given notice.

Mr 0. 0. Bowen seconded the resolution. Key. C. Fraser rose to move as an amendment that the word " not" be inserted between the words "that it is" and "expedient in the resolution. He was of opinion that it was not expedient, and he would tell them why. To a great extent and in the main his opinions were similar to those expressed by the deputation. It was of the highest possible importance that one day in ssyen at least should be devoted to the consideration of the highest truths of morality and religion. It had been said at the late meeting that the attendance would not be large on Sundays at the Library, but he felt that the opening of the ' Library on Sunday would present a strong oounter attraction to the family gatherings, and the entire devotion of the Sunday to the family circle and the Church, which were so essential to the well being of the oommunity. He further asserted that this resolution was inexpedient, as it was not called for by the public, and very great and serious responsibility rested on those who, to gratify a mere opinion of their own, introduced so great a change as this without any publio manifestation in its favor. They saw from what had been said by the deputation that there was great fear for the cause of morality and good order. Besides, he said that the Board of Governors had no right at the call of a bare majority to introduce so radical and important a ohange. He regarded it as a very serious injury to the cause of religion and morality. It was the diffusing of a subtle poison into the minds of the people, lowering the standard of their regard of religious ordinances. Again, he would urge that it was inexpedient to pass this resolution, by tracing the history of the Public Library. It arose out of a deputation of working men in Ohristohuroh waiting on the Bev. Mr Alabaster and himself with Mr John Hall, and he desired to point out that during the whole time that this institution was supported by private subscription it was never proposed to open it on the Lord's Day. For sixteen years it was in the hands of subscribers, and no word of opening it on the Sabbath was ever made. He contended that they should not turn the institution into a sort of literary soup kitchen. He therefore considered that the opening as proposed was not expedient. Let them take the opening of the Museum. He felt sure that no one would say but that the great bulk of the attendants on Sunday at the Museum went there for a pleasant promenade, and not as a place to study natural history. Another reason why he would urge the rejeotion of the resolution was, that they in Canterbury had been most happily free from religions dissensions ; yet they were now proposing to introduce a question which was likely to be a burning one, and to cause diisension. If they carried Mr Rseves' resolution that day, they would have great dissension on this and oognate subjeots. They would, after the opinions they had heard expressed by citizsns such as those forming the deputation, who were high in public esteem, seem like throwing down the gauntlet which must be taken up. Kay, more, they would be laying it open to the religious publio to believe that the Board was dominated in some way or other by a nest of seoulariats —and he used the term in its worst sense—and they would consider whether they should commit the care of their young people to the Board, in its capacity of imparting education. It would also afford a great hold to those who were in favor of a denominationalist system of education. So far as he was concerned, he would wish rather than this should be done, that the rich endowments here would take wings to themselves and flee away to the North Island, or anywhere else where there was to be found a reverence for the Christian Sabbath, and a feeling of respect for the opinions of the religious public. For these reasons he begged to move the amendment. Mr E. Wakefield seoonded the amendment pro forma. Mr O. C. Bowen said that he could hardly understand Mr Fraser, who had said that he desired to eliminate all religious matters when he also said that they should violate the feelings of the religious publio. Now, he wished to say that it was well known that there was only a very small portion of the world whoheld the Jewish or Puritanical notion of Leeping the Sabbath. Now, he thought that the subject they should discuss was how to arrange for the spare time of their young men whilst they were keeping their Library shut. It was all very well for people to like to spend their Sunday at home, but how about those who had no home at all. Henoe be had arrived at the conclusion that what they had to discuss was why they should not open the Library. As regarded the Musenm, he had heard all sorts of reports about it, and he had taken trouble to ascertain the truth on the subject. He found that the Museum was crowded on Sundays with a most orderly crowd, and that numbers of persons spent a rational afternoon, and thns gave their children a far better example than perhaps would otherwise be the osse. Mr Fraser had said that the opening was not called for, but he desired to point out that schools were not called for in the sense Mr Fraser had put it. It was not the uneducated who called for them, hut those having the matter in hand were bound to give every opportunity that was in their power for the public to take advantage of the institutions they missht have in charge. Mr Wakefield would support Mr Beeves' ir.oti in, because he was strongly in favor of the Sabbath being observed, and he felt that by affording opportunity of rational recreation they were best doing what was necessary to arrive at this. As regarded the deputation, ho must say that he had listened most attentively to them, and was not impressed with the wisdom of their arguments or of those they represented, though, of course, the members of the deputation were entitled to great consideration on aooount of their position and respectability. But the meeting was avowedly a one-sided one, and the decision arrived at a foregone one. Hence he did not a'.taoh inuoh importance to the opinions of the meeting. Nor could he understand what Mr Fraser meant by insidious poison being introduced by the opening of the Library on Sundays. Op the

contrary he must say he felt perfeotly sure that the opening would be followed by good results. As to it being a resort of bad characters, he must say that this was quite out of the question. Mr Fraser also seemed to think that they would have a sort of religious revolution on the question, and that the fa?gots would be set up in Cathedral square. Well, all he could say was this : that probably any agitation which might take place would proceed from those who were denominated by Mr Fraser the religious public, and not from those who, like himself, would be designated the irreligious public. He said this: that they were not justified in withholding from the publio the means of mental recreation on the Sabbath. For these reasons and because he also believed that it would be productive of good,-he should support Mr Beeves' motion. Mr Hamilton desired to say a few words on the question before the Board. He thought that the result of the discussion that day proved the wisdom of the course he ;had reluctantly been obliged to take on a former occasion. When he counted out the Board then he was unable to get any assurance as to the;. attendants who were now employed very long hours in the Library, being assured of their day of rest, which was so needful after so muoh labour. Besides, they were four and four on the subject, and perhaps the chairman would pardon him for saying that he did not think that he had followed the Parliamentary course in the way in which he had used his casting vote on that occasion. The proceedings of the Board were governed by Parliamentary rules, and he understood that the oourse pursued by the Speaker in such cases was to use his vote so as to afford another opportunity for consideration of the subject by the House. He was extremely glad to hear from Mr Beeves that there had been arrangements made whereby the regular attendants on week days would be relieved from being obliged to bo at the Library on Sunday. He wished, further, to point out that on the Continent the publio libraries were kept closed, though theatres, Sea. , were not. In Dresden, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Tienna, Munich, and Stuttgart the libraries were kept closed on Sundays. He wanted to know how it was that, if the libraries were kept closed on the Continent, they should be opened here. For himself he did not tee that the opening of the Library on Sunday would wean the drunkard from the publio house, or induce the larrikin to beoome studious. The people who would attend would be those who read far too muoh on week days and a rest on Sundays would do them good. As regarded the dosing of the Library, after a time, if it were not found to answer as an experiment, he thought they would find that the noisy portion of the publio would cry out. It waß noticeable that the noisier portion of the publio were always heard in favor of a change, and he thought that they should wait and hear what the thinking portion had to say. On the ground that it was not required he should vote against the opening. With regard to the Museum, he was in favor of that because a great deal of useful information could be taken in by the eye without muoh effort.

Mr Tancred said that unless the regular attendants remained on Sundays they could not be responsible for the care of the books placed under their charge. It appeared to him that they could not call upon their regular attendants to add to their weekly duties the care of the books on Sundays, whilst on the other hand they oould not allow the supervision of volunteers only. The Chairman said that he believed that they could get trusty persons to take care of the reference library and the reading room, say, at 5s per diem. No one at present engaged in the Library during the week would be allowed to take any part on the Sunday. Though the offer had been made by gentlemen who could thoroughly be trusted to come as volunteers, the oommittee felt that it would be better to have persons who would be paid and responsible to the Board. (Hear, hear.) No additional oost, he might say, would thus be inourred.

Mr Tancred said what he wished to point out was this, that the regular caretakers might if any damage was done shift the responsibility on to the additional attendants. Mr Veel said that Mr Hamilton had expressed great pleasure at finding that tbe regular attendants at the Library were not going to be called on to work on Sunday. He (Sir Yeel) wished to point out that twice he had stated that the oommittee had made arrangements so that the present staff would not be called upon to work on Sundays. Mr Hamilton said that he asked the question more than once, but failed so far as he could gather to get a satisfactory answer.

Mr Fereday said he had intended to speak at some length on'this question, but saw that it was no use, as from what had fallen from the members during the debate, he felt that the motion would be oarried. There had been a large publio meeting on the subject, and scaroely a single letter had appeared in the papers on the side of opening the Library on Sundays. A significant faot had come to his knowledge from the English papers, viz., that a Bill had been brought forward in the French Senate to close the shops and theatres on Sundays. They would if this were allowed to go on, fritter away the wholo of the seventh day of rest, because it would not stop at the opening of the Library. It would go on until men would be asked to work seven days for six days' pay. A day's rest was absolutely required, and on the question of expediency he should oppose the motion proposed by Mr Beeves. Bev. Mr Fraser desired to explain that in his remarks he had not intended to bring forward any arguments of a religious character, but simply to bring forward facts on the side of the non expediency of opening the Library on Sunday. The Chairman said he desired to explain as to what had fallen from Mr Hamilton. The lioard was not like the House of Representatives, because tho chairman bad an original as well as a casting vote, and the Speaker of the House had not. He would, if Mr Hamilton's motion were oarried out, be shut out from using bis original vote. He had voted one way with his original vote, and it would have been stultifying himself had he not voted similarly with his casting vote.

The amendment was put and negatived as follows : —Ayes—Messrs Hamilton, Fereday, and Bev. O. Fraser. Noes —Messrs Beeves, Tosswill. Malet, Wakefield, Potts, Tancred, Bowen, Yeel, and the chairman. The original motion was then put. Bev. O. Fraser roso to propose another amendment.

The Chairman ruled that the Bev. Mr Fraser having spoken to the motion, and moved an amendment, he could not now speak again. Some discussion on the point of order arose.

Mr Fereday then moved as another amendment—" That the figures *2to 6 p m., and 7 to 9 p.m.,' be struck out, with the view to inserting from '2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.'" Mr Hamilton seconded the amendment.

Bev. C. Fraser pointed out that the hours in Mr Beeves' motion were just the hours of publio worship, and he hoped Mr Beeves would aocept this. Mr Beeves could not accept this proposal at all. His reverend friend was a very good fighter, and when driven from one position he was quite able to take up another and support it with specious arguments. He should refuse to aocept this because the Library would open its doors to that class who would not attend the ministrations of his reverend friend or any of his reverend brethren. [Hear, hear.] He wished to open the doors of the Library as well to these unconsidered waifs and strays of humanity as to the righteous and respeotable orthodox attendants on the ministrations of his reverend friend or those of his reverend brethren.

The amendment was put and lost, the numbers being - Noes, 7 ; Ayes, 5. The division list was the same as on the first amendment, except that Messrs Malet and Taaored voted with the minority. The second amendment, altering tbe hours from 7 to 9 to Bto 10, was put and lost on the voioes.

Bey. Mr Fcaßer called for a division, but did not persist in his call. The amendment was then pnt and lost. The original motion was then put and carried on the yoioes. The Board then went into committee te consider the reports of the College, Library, and Agricultural Sohool committees. The only matter of public interest decided waa the adoption of the following recommendation of the Agricultural School_ committee :—"The committee having considered the report of the director, decide that the director be instructed to. obtain the necessary seed to form, a nursery of mulberry trees in order to supply those who propose to carry out the business of aericioulture with yearling plants." The Board resumed, and the work done in committee waa reported and adopted, and the Board adjourned at 5 p.m.