Wellington PliilosoiiMcal Society. 691 



Thikd Meeting: 20th July, 1891. 



E. Tregear, President, in the chair. 



The President called attention to the volume of old views 

 of Wellington and other parts of New Zealand, presented to 

 the Society by Major Gudgeon. 



Papers. — 1. "On the Establishment of an Expert Agri- 

 cultural Department in New Zealand," by W. M. Maskell, 

 F.E.M.S. {Transactions, p. 625.) 



The Hon. R. Pharazyn said he quite agreed with Mr. Maskell that it 

 •was of the greatest importance that such an expert department should 

 be established, and he would be glad to do all in his power to support 

 such a movement. It had been found in other countries that a depart- 

 ment of this kind had worked well, and had proved of the greatest benefit 

 to those engaged in agricultural pursuits. 



Mr. G. Beetham was also in favour of a department such as Mr. 

 Maskell described. He believed that if properly represented the Go- 

 vernment and the House would favourably consider such a proposition. 

 He complimented I\Ir. Maskell for the valuable work he had done in 

 this branch of science, and said that the thanks of the Society were due 

 to him for having brought this important matter forward. 



Mr. Carlile thought that the farmers would highly approve of the 

 establishment of such a useful department, and he thought the various 

 incorporated societies would assist in urging the forming of a department 

 of this kind. 



The President agreed with all that had been said. 



The following resolution was moved by Mr. Maskell: "That, in the 

 opinion of this Society, the establishment of a well-equipped expert 

 Agricultural Department is urgently required in New Zealand." 



]\Ir. R. C. Harding, in seconding the resolution, said he could not 

 speak with practical knowledge, like the gentlemen who had already 

 given their views, but, even without such knowledge, the necessity of 

 such a department would be recognised. Many present would remem- 

 ber the cumbrous and oppressive Thistle Acts of the old provincial days, 

 when every province had a different ordinance. These Acts were now 

 acknowledged to have been ill-advised, while in regard to the thistles 

 they were about as effective as a Papal bull against a comet. The 

 present fashion seemed to be to launch a separate and voluminous Act of 

 Parliament against each individual nuisance. The public suffered from 

 ill-considered legislation, and the pests flourished apace. The Act 

 just passed relating to small birds was a case in point. It was crude and 

 unwieldy to the last degree, would prove an intolerable nuisance, and 

 would probably produce all manner of effects other than those intended. 

 Parliament was not qualified to deal with such matters ; they lay alto- 

 gether outside of the scope of its duties. If only in the interests of 

 economy, Mr. IMaskell's proposition deserved all support. 



The resolution was .carried, and it was ordered that a copy thereof 

 should be forwarded to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. 



2. " Animal Intelligence," by W. W. Carlile, M.A. 

 {Transactions, p. 349.) 



Sir James Hector said the author had succeeded in making a very 

 abstract and difficult point in mental philosophy quite interesting. He 

 agreed with the side he took in the much-discussed question of whether 

 animal intelligence differed from our own in kind or only in degree, and 

 whether the jproduction of the highest intellect was the result of pro- 



