New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4900, 5 December 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5.

We see by the telegrams that Mr, Rolleston has agreed to hand oyer,the Provincial Council Library to the Canterbury College, subject :to its being returned if the proper authorities object to the transaction; " ’ We : tincerely • • hope that ’ the “proper authorities” will /object to this; vqry’ improper transaction. Some' time since we in these columns criticised with soine ‘severity the’ appropriation Ofsdch An immense portion of the public estate to .the use of that highlyffavored institution, 1 the/Canterbury College. It was, 1 as we then showed,/ not long before ;, boasted’by ope of the College Go vernors that in ,a/ shbrttimethat body would be| in receipt,/of An. ih<jomo of £IO,OOO per | annum. /iWe-went ~on, ; to,remark ;that, almost the entire . practical benefit of this princely-endowment must necessarily be enjoyed' bysthe: : children of rich men,': and' v such : an’ application of : the public estate wo ventured to designate a gross ■injustice/ both to the general,body of the people, of Canterbury and to-the rest of the cplqny. With howi, we,ask, 'does /Mr-: Rolleston, take, upon him' to, hand, oyer to this rich corporation—jfleh, ' wo'repeatj attfie expense of the defrauded and. uneducated youth of the colony-rrwith what (face ■ does ■ he dare to hand oyer to: a body well able to buy its own books this valuable piece of the public property? How the people of Canterbury may look on this .“ transaction”, y/e ’dp not knovfr;, but, in, bur; /eyes, it ! 'appears just the same as’ another instalment, /of this very mean ■■ “transaction,” * whereby rich persons are quite willing to , receive a high-class education—that is to say, a-luxury—for their children, well knowing that one consequence must bo the

starvation of the minds and souls of hunt; dreds and thousands of wretched children throughout the land. We repeat, the whole business of the vast endowment of this pauper institution for the rich, the Canterbury College, while the primary education of the colony is starving, is alike unjust and'mean—essentially mean; and now we are to have, another .item in., the catalogue of meannesses.’ On what possible ground or. in .what .character , can this rich and greedy corporation lay claim to the possession of this-public property? We do not presume they can be impudent enough to place their demand op the basis of right, and, if not, on what ground of expediency can they, claim ? ~ Are . they trustees for the public ?' Would they, if they got it, act as liberal custodians of it for the ' public use ? We do not believe either, t the _ one or the other; but are quite convinced, if they succeed in retaining _ this library, the mean, greedy spirit which has fromfirst to last inspired the whole ** transaction ’ will soon /betray /itself! by shutting the library door in the face of any honest poor man who might venture to avail himself of it. We hope the “ proper authorities” will act properly* in''this matter, and will not allow a valuable library, which certainly was,' and still is, public property, to be coolly handed over to the private use of ah already most unjustly . favored institution for rich people. We are hot awate if any action has yet been taken in reference to the request, which, we understand, has been made by the A+henasum for. tho_ custody of our provincial library. That is a request of a nature very different ■ indeed' from this Canterbury transaction. The Athenaeum ia a public body, administered in the interests of the entire public, and just now entering upon a most spirited enterprise, to, improve its premises, and fulfil worthily those public functions of education which are within the scope of its plan. We do not think that there is here any institution which, on the whole, can put forth so good a claim on the grounds of utility and expediency as the Athenaeum can to be entrusted with the custody of this well-selected and useful collection of books. Whatever , may; be the ultimate decision of the Government in this matter, we 4° sincerely hope it' will be no such lame and impotent conclusion as . Mr. Eolleston wishes to, effectuate .in Canterbury. We hope that no exclusive corporation or set of people will be allowed to monopolise the books. We hope also that on no sort of principle will ( the libraries either .here or. elsewhere, be broken up. to gratify a miserable Spirit of local jealousy.