THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1872.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 170, 7 June 1872, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1872.

It will be seen by a paragraph which appears in our local column that, upon the motion of Mr. Mervyn, it was agreed by the Provincial Council, to request the Superintendent to place upon the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £2O, as a subsidy of £1 to JBI against any sum up to that amount which might be raised by the residents of Mount Ida for the purpose of establishing an Athenaßum at Naseby. We confess we should much have preferred had the sum been placed upon the Estimates proper at an early period of the session, rather than at its fag end, when a general rush is invariably made by honorable members to get sums placed upon the Estimates with the view of conciliating their constituents by making apparent amends for past neglect Very feeble, if any, opposition is, as a rule, made by the Government to,these supplementary votes/ knowing, as they do, that all available funds have been allocated in the Estimates proper, and that, how wise or how foolish soever such votes mav be, there is generally found little or nothing to expend upon them. We must demur to the action taken by the Government in this matter, believing it to be their duty to refuse plainly to allow any sums to be placed upon the Estimates, supplementary or other, unless they conscientiously believe the expenditure of such votes to be advantageous to the public interest. The system £>f sham votes on the Estimates is most reprehensible, and we have, as public journalists, had frequent occasion to draw attention to the fact and its consequences. In the case of the votes on the recent Supplementary Estimates. Mr. Donald Keid gave honorable members to understand that they might cause what sums they pleased to be placed upon them, but they would not be expended, for the simple reason that there was no money for the purpose. Hence it is that, while Mr. MerVyn's vote has our cordial and hearty concurrence, we doubt if' it will be productive of any real good or any practical result. We trust, however, that our doubts and fears may be mere croakings, and that the vote will be forthcoming when we are in a position tu demand it.

Now, what is our position in this matter P We all admit, we think, the advisability of the establishment of such an institution as a Mechanics' Institute or Athenseunx. There seems, however, to exist a doubt whether we should be able to raise the funds sufficient for the purpose. This idea is a most fallacious one, seeing that we have already at command public property lying dormant, and daily deteriorating in value, which would, if sold, as we believe the trustees are willing that ifc should be, would place us in a position to demand the whole or the greater part of the subsidy asked for by Mr. Mervyu. We allude to the residence area, together with the manse and the furniture. Since the retirement of the Rev. Mr. Burchett. the building, excepting during the temporary occupation of the Rev. Mr. Smith,

has not been used, and as the building has otherwise been uninhabited both it and the furniture must be, as a matter of course, falling to. decay and ruin. It is impossible to say what the price realised might be. This could be fairly tested by auction, and for any amount which it might fetch we should have a clear claim against the Government for subsidy. The property is the property of the people of Naseby, aud if they please to sell that property and devote the proceeds to another purpose—such, for instance, as the establishment of an Athenaeum—they have a most undoubted right so to do, and, in our opinion, are perfectly riajht in doing so. J here is another public property belonging to the people of Naseby, and which is admirably adapted to the purpose of an Athenaeum. We allude to the old Union Church, which at the present time, and for a very long time past —excepting on rare occasions—has has not been used for any kind of Divine service. There are already two churches here—both of which are well attended—one belonging to the Presbyterians, and the other to the Roman Catholics—and strong efforts are now on foot to establish a third on the principles of the Church of England, so that there is really no reason why the old Union Church, which has long since been disused as a place of worship —-excepting occasionally and which is fast falling into a state of delapidation, should not be devoted to the supply of a long known and long felt want. A small sum would alter its present ugly position, and bring it fairly into the street line, thereby doing away with a very great eyesore. Neither do we see that any great difficulty would be experienced in inducing the Government to allow the small portion of the Church reserve which the build* ing occupies to be transferred to an Athenaeum Committee. i hough the price of the manse a.:d furniture, subsidised by the vote proposed by Mr. MerVyn, would enable us to commence operations in a really handsome manner, we are, we think, upon the plan we have briefly sketched, in a position to st'&rt an institution: iupon.% -;-smia.ller and more humble scale without any Govern mental assistance whatever—not, however, for one moment relinquishing our right to ask assistance at! the hands of the Government when they shall be in funds, be that now or at some, future period. The season for moving in this matter is an opportune one, and we think that nd time should be lost in calling a public meeting and electing ii Committee of Management for the projected institution.