AUCKLAND MECHANICS INSTITUTE.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 503, 8 February 1851, Page 3

AUCKLAND MECHANICS INSTITUTE.

Soiree. A Soiree of the Members and Friends of the Institute was held in the Hall on Wednesday evening, and attracted a numerous audience — although not so large as the mote sanguine of its projectcs had anticipated — amongst whom we had the gratification of observing a considerable proportion of " the better sex." At the same time we could have desired to see a fuller representation of the " upper classes' on the occasion. '1 he object of the Institute is one which every enlightened man or woman, in whatever grade of society, might he expected to support, and which, ia our humble judgment, the highest or wealthiest might have patronized l»y their presence at the Soiree without the slightest diminution of any " respectability" that people of sound sense and right feehn : should think worthy of the name "William (Jisborne, Esq., presided with an ability and courtesy which amply justified the choice by which he was plac d in the Chair. The tea, &c, excellently cateted by Mr. Goarie, passed off, under the efficient superintendence of the Sub- 1 ommittee to whom the arrangements had been entrusted, in such a way a* to afford genetal satisfaction. There was not, however, as much speaking a» some had expected ; but the Chairman himself di 4 much to supply this dene ency ; dwelling, in one speech, seriously and forcibly on the advantages to be derived from the education of the people, and, in another, playfulU, poeticall/, and Jeelwgly on the value of female cooperation-, for the attainment of this and

other good ends. Three cheers were cordially given for the Mechanics' Institute, and three times three for "the Ladies present." Mr. Hansard (the Honorary Secretary) and Dr. Menneit also addressed the company ; and Mr. Coomiian having been moved to the Chair, a vote of thanks to Mr. GisboßNe for the manner in which he had conducted the proceedings was carried by acclamation ; and thanks having also been voted to Colonel Wynyard and the Band of the 58th Regiment for the musical treat by which the evening was enlightened the social meeting broke up about ten o'clock. Annual Meeting. The Yearly Meeting of the Institute was held in the Hall last night, William Connlll, Esq., occupied the Chair. Mr. Hansard (Hon. Sec.) read the following Report for the year. Report or the Committee of Management To the Members of "Thic Auckland Mechanics' iNbTiTUTE. '— Prrsented Friday, Pebiuary 7, 1857. Gkntlfmh*— The time hai now arrived when it bee >mes the duty of your Committee, in conformity with the 17b .Law of this Institution, to surrender into your hands the cha'ije confided to them at 'he Puilic General Meeting held for its re-oreanizatioii on the 27tli of J<mu,.rv, JBSO, and to submit to you a Rfc| o t ut the proceeding! of the pa»t year. This duty »hry perform with no little gratification, as tbey feel ju-tifit-d in offering to you their sincere and hearty coii^ittiuliUions on the proures* made duim<j the pas* Twelve Month* towards thr sound and healihlul re-e-tubl.shment of your Institution Your Committee, as the Lest anl most satisfactory index of this piogress, would report at to tbe number of Members admit led duiing the year now pist. By reference to the Rull it appears that during the first quarter the number of Members vrus 93 ; dnrtug the second quarter. 115; thud quarter, 142; fourth qjattrr, 152. Thus showing a steady and piogressive incroase. now amounting to fifty per centum on the first qimrtei. Your Committee have the pleasure to report that on a leputatinn from them waiting on lm Excellency Sir George Grey, with a respectful request to thai effect hu Exctllency consented to become thr Patron of the Insti ution, and thai he ha» siuce, by his piesence at some of the Li*« tores given in your Hall, and by dona, tions to y ur Library, and in other ways, evinced that interest in the lubtitutioii and his desire to promote its objects, which he then expressed. It will be «ecn on reference to the Bilance Sheet now p.e ented, that the income of the Institutionalising horn the different sources of Entrance Fees, Subscriptions, Rents, Lecturei, &r , have availed for tbe «m^ll o dinary expenditure »nd the outlay of a considerable sum in the repuir of the building (most tniperaliVi ly CrtlUd for by its dilapidated and ruinous condition at the time of the re-organization of the Institute) The sum of £ J 46 Us. Id. will bu seen to be charged against tbe item of repairs, furniture, &c. Among the works included therein ate the enclosure of the allotment will a pood and substantial fence in the front and rtar, the repuir of the party-side fence, the fitiing of new supporting blocks, the painting ot the extt-rior of the building, the purchase of a street lamp, the addition of an tnitde door screen, the me tion of a pla'form, the purchase of tome additional •ea •, the constiurtion of a foot path, and the repair of the road (to which latter assistance was Uiudly afforded by the Co'omal Goveruune.nl). Your Committee would likewise report that during the past year the Library has received many valuable additions, bolh by donation and pu chase. Among the former are— by his Excellency the Go»e nur, Stokes' Discoveries in Australia, 2 vo'.s., Hursthouse's New Plymouth, New Zealand Magazine, 2 Nos. ; fiom R. Lynd, Esq., V.P., Mis* Mditmeau's Tales, 8 volb., Dr. Leichhardt's Researches in Australia ; fiom J G Johnson, E f q , Pallailio's Fust Book <f Aichiteciuie ; fiom Mr. Ri.ut, Dr Vaughan's A;-e of Gieat Ct'ies; from Mr. Hutv, Graham 1 * History of the United States and Muore'» Life ot Bjron; from Mr. Hansard, Chnmerovzow'sNew Zealand Question. Among the purchases made may be mentioned, Macaulay'i HUlory ot England, tue works of Chailes Lamb, several volumes of Bohn's Standard Library, Chamber-.' English Ltteramre, Brougham's Men of Letters, Hogg'* Weekly ln»tructor, the Glasgow AJeclianics 1 Ma.azhe, &c, &c. tii» Houor Mr. Chiet Justice Martin liberally pre- I tuved to your Commntee, for the luitherance of tbe object* ol thit ln»tuuiion, tbe sura of Five Pounds, wuich it wai their locution to have expended iv the pur haie of books, had opportunity offered. Tbe Attorney General ha* also with great liberality printed fix copies ot lha Opening Address deltveied by him on the Bih ot April, printed by him at his own expense. Your Committee were, in Augmt last, fortunately able to engage the kcrvices ot an efficient Librarian (Mr. henry Cuthbert), and are hap,.y to be aob to report that since that time the attendance of Members at iht Library and tha circulation ot books have considerably increased. Lecture- have been delivered in tbe Hall of the lustitutum by W. Swaiijson, Etq , " Opening Addreis. ' The Uev. Mr. Churtou. «• On tbe Poetry of Cowper. ' Mr. T. S. Forsaith (two), •♦ Oliver Cromwell and Ins Times." D.. Bennett (two), " Natural Magic j" aud " PopuUr Supt>'Bt;tiiitis " The Rev. Mr. Rrid, " On Pdlestine." The Rev. Mr. FKlcher, •• Education." Mr. C. Heaphy, "Recent Piscoreneu in Astronomy." Mr. Andrews, " Tha Atonospheie." Dr. Dallutou, " Chemistry." Your Committee concei»c thm the cordial thanks of the Jnitnu'ion are due to these gentlemen, as, in their opinion, the usefulness and pro.perity of the Institution have been m.trnallj advanced bj the assist auce to kindly leudered. The thanks ot the Institute, your Committee would submit, are »Uo due to those geni lemon, member* o* the Sacred Harmonic Society, and others, who lately promoted and gave a coucert in aid of the funds of the Institu ion. It will be seen that material assistance to your fund* has been reudered by the Independent Order cf OJd Fellows, who have paid a considerable annual rent for the u»c of tbe Hujl; and your Committee are gratified at having this opportunity to expiew their Btme of the kindlier with which that society have always been ready to meet their views in all matter* m whip" the interekts of the Inatuution were concerned. Tbe I'ommittee regret that ihey are not able to report •■> f«f our.j»ly us tould have been desired ou the |.rogtes« of the Classes. There have been but two estabibbed—viz., 'he Drawing Class, and the b»«ay and DidCUßiion Clan j tbo former uaa, hhcc its fir6t <orina-

tion, been but il attended, and the latter hub been adjourned to the winter scasmi. The total receip's during the past year have been £163 19s. 5d 5 »nd the expenditure £160 16i. Hd.— Iravinq; a balance in ihe hands of the Tieisurer of £3 2s. 6d. The asiets, £9 Hi. od.; the Hubilities, nil. Thin the gentlemen whom you may now appoint your Committee for the eti>uing year, will a*nume the management of an Institution in a real'y healthful state; indeed, your Committee, in remguini: into their handh the tiutt with which y<-u have honored them, would beg to exprets their hope and belief, that, as the ol\j as and advantagrs of the Institution become more fully kbottw, a* ihe exertions and eo«opriati(>n«, of those friends whose kind wishes tlvy i a»e heretofoic enj"yed, become mors fully expressed, that a constant accession of numbers, and a permanent increase of its strength may ensue ; and that it will not be* long c c an aspintiun express d in a former Repot t "That (he Auckland WechnnirV In»iitntion may lilt up its head and take its place among; the many Ins liutiom of n hue nature in the si-ter colonies, " shnll be (if, indeed, it tnuy not be mid already to be) accomplished. (Signed) Robfrt Lynd, V.P., Chairman of Committee. A financial statement was also presented, from which it appeared that ther j remained on the whole a balance in favour of the Institute. The adoption of the Report hiving been moved, seconded and agreed to, the Election of Officers was then proceeded with, and William Swainson, Esq., (Attorney • General) was chosen President : — Thomas Outhwaite and Robert Lynd, Esqrs., Vice -Presidents : — Thos. Lewis, Esq., Treasurer : — and Mr. A. W. Hansard, Honorary Secretary ; and Messrs. G. Smith, A. I lark, and R. Schultz, Auditors. Tne next business was the appointment of the Committee for the ensuing ye^r. Twentyseven Members having beeen proposed and seconded, the votes were taken under the inspection of three Secretaries (Messrs. Taylor, Robfrison, and Fielding), The following fifteen were declared elected as the Committee : Mr. J. T. Boylan Mr G Hunter Dr. Bennett " J. Macdougall Mr, W. Connell " J M'Leod " IL Coolahan " L. OBrien " A. Claik " 11. Rulings " Jas. Deirom " E Wirdell " T S. Fx«r««iith " J. Williamson. « W. Hußhes j Votes of thanks to the gentlemen who had bestowed donations of books on the Institute ; to those who had given lectures, and to the officers of the Institute for the past year having bten adopted, Mr. Williamson, on the part of a number of Members who had joined in the object, handed to the Chairman a Watch for presentation to Mr. Hansard as a token of their appreciation of his active labours as Hon. Secretary during the year, — which having been done by Mr. Connell, and an inscription intended to be engraven on it read, Mr. Hansard returned thanks, and assured the Meeting of his determination to be equally zealous this year for the promotion of the welfare of the Institute. A vote of thanks to the Chairman having been passed amidst applause, Mr. Convell briefly but appropriately addiessed the Meeting, dwel'ing particularly on the value of the Lectures given from time to time, and urging the Members to attend on them with greater regularity. The proceedings then terminated,

Fatal Accident. — On Monday last a deaf and dumb labourer named Patrick Finn w<*s engaged with five other men in removing a large cask of oil fiom a cnrt at the top of Shonland-sireet. The skidd unfortunately broke, and the ca^k tolled upon poot Finn, inflicting injuries from the effect of which Ik died on Thuisday, — the fatal resu't having m°st piobibly been hastened — in ilie judgment of Drs. Mati'hlws and Dalliston, who paid the sufferer every attention from the occurrence of the accident — by some previously existing organic disease, An inquest was held yesterday morning at the Ci own and Anchor Inn, "West Queen-street, before Dr. Davis, C>>ronei. The facts having been given in evidence, the jury found a verdict of c Accidental Death."

In our report of ihe procerdinpi of the Regaita, in last Saturday's paprr it was stuied that the large ea noes " parsed over the some course a» that mucked down for the whale bo«ts in thirteen minutrs less than the latter had occupied." We have been requeued to correct* th.it statement, the fact being that the canoes only pulled round the ivhie buoy; ttie whale boatt rounded the fl q hoat off the Noith Head, winch made a considerable dilicrence in the riisiance.