G2 



maintain the Lil)rarv : and this recpiest the Government Inid acceded 

 to, and had a]D))ointed a ver_y strong Committee, with Dr. Eobert 

 Little as Chairman, and Dr. X. B. Dennys as a member, to carry on. 

 The Government, it liappened, had been asked just before this by the 

 Secretary of State if their control over the Library and over the 

 Gardens was at all commensurate with the large sums of money that 

 were being spent (at the time mostly on the Library). Change thus 

 came from two sides : for both institutions had asked the Government 

 to take theim over ; and of both institutions the Secretary of State had 

 enquired if the Government was controlling them. The subscribers 

 to the Library liad acted tirst: the change was made i:)rom])tly, and 

 the new Committee immediately got under way. They en- 

 gaged the services of a Dr. James Collins, who had come eastwards 

 with recommendations from the Secretary of State, Sir Joseph 

 Hooker and others, on a salary of $150 per mensem, to travel and 

 investigate, to collect for the Eaffles Museum; and to his duties was 

 added that of getting together objects for an Exhibition in London : 

 at the same time he was to carry on the Committee's corres])on- 

 dence, accounts, etc., in Singapore. Then when the members of the 

 Agri-Horticultural Society made their petition, the Governor re- 

 (piested this Conmiittee, if they could, to take charge also of the 

 (iarden; and they consented to do so. Thus the Garden passed 

 temporarily under the same control as tlie lial'Hes Museuan. 



We find in the speech made ujkjji the Budget estimates for the 

 next year by Dr. Little, already referred to, and in some letters 

 ]3 reserved in the Library the Committee's proposals for the future. 

 Dr Little ill these explained that it would not be advisable to add 

 to Dr. Collins" work, but that another officer should be obtained 

 from Britain, who could join Dr Collins in his explorations, the 

 results of tlie two working together, bringing ''immense gains to 

 the scientific worhl.'" 



The Governor now advised the Secretary of State that legis- 

 lation would be necessary, for the Garden was property vested in 

 the Vice-President and Treasurer of the Agri-Horticultural Society, 

 and therefore could only he held for them by the Eaffles Library Com- 

 miittee ; and an act was needed that they might be transferred com- 

 ])letelv to the Government. For the purpose one was drafted im- 

 mediately, but not put through. Meanwhile reorganisation was 

 commenced ; on the recommendation of the Committee, Government 

 agreed to the retention of Mr. Xiven on his pay of $80 per mensem 

 with the title of the Manager, giving him permission to undertake 

 besides their work other business; and the proposed Superintendent 

 was sought from England by the Committee in cx)rrespondence with 

 Sir Joseph (then Dr.) Hooker, as Director of the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew. This Superintendent, the Committee stated, was to l)e a 

 ])ractical as well as a systematic l)otanist, ami to travel in the Malay 

 Peninsula not a little i'or the purpose of investigating its vegetation. 

 At the same time an officer, found locally, was appointed to the 

 charge of the animals in the Garden. Dr. Little obtained in the 

 place of the sum of $1200 which was ]>assed by the Government in 

 the estimates of 1870, 1871, 1872, 187:5, and 1874, as a grant to the 



