368 RKCOKDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



appointment of the other was tilled by Dr. George Witt, who had been a 

 member of Committee since 1852, acting as Honorary- Secretaiy^-K 



The year 1853 also saw the abolition of the Committee System of 

 administration, and the establishment of a body of Trustees under an Act 

 of Incorporation. I think the Hrst step towards the consummation of 

 this very desirable proceeding took place on the 8th February, 1851, 

 when the following members of Committee : — 



" Were appointed a Sub-Coniinittee to consider and report upon the best means 

 to lie adopted for anielioratin>^ the Constitution of the Connnittee of 

 Management of the Australian Museum and Botanic Garden, viz., Dr. 

 Nicholson, E. Deas Thomson, and W. [Sharp] Macleay, Esqrs. '-•"'" 



As a result of the appointment of the above Sub-Coniniittee it was 

 proposed ou the 4th December, 1852, b}' Captain [Admiral] P. P. King, 

 R.N., and seconded by Hon. [Sir] William Macarthur that : — 



" A Sub-Committee be appointed to consider the propriety of applying to His 

 Excellency the Governor General requesting that His Excellency will 1)« 

 pleased to introduce a Bill into the Legislative Council during its next 

 Session having for its oV)ject tlie Incorporati<:>n of the Institution and the 

 investment of the Building and other property belonging to it as Trustees, 

 to be nominated in the first instance by His Excellency'-''." 



On the 1st January, 1853, the above gentlemen made their report to 

 the Committee of Management, a very lengthy and comprehensive 

 document, of which the following is one of the most important 

 paragraph s^^? : — 



" They have had under consideration the Constitutions of the most dis- 

 tinguished Public Museums in Europe, and have found that these may 

 all be resolved into two classes, to wit, those wliich are governed chiefly 

 by A du^inistrators of rank or political influence, and tliose which are 

 administered by Professors of Science or Literature. The British 

 Museum may be taken as a fair type of the former class, and the Janliti 

 des Plantes at Paris of the latter." 



The report then descsribed in gi-eat detail the constitutions of these 

 Institutions, and continued : — 



'• Your Sub-Conunittee therefore j)ropose tliat the system of the British 

 Museum, as it has been lately modified in pursuance of the suggestions 

 contained in the Kejtort of the Connnittee of Parliament before alluded to 

 should be adopted as far as pos.sible by tlie .Australian Museum. They 

 would even recommend the a})pointnient hereafter by a special Act of 

 Council of a Family Trustee, whenevei' any remarkably nnmificent 

 donation or Ijequest shall have been made to the Museum ; and they 

 venture to make this reconnnendation, not only because members of the 

 family of a donor usually watch, with advantage to the institution, over 

 the fulfilment of any contract or conditions as to the preservation of the 

 objects so given or bequeathed, Vuit still more on account of its having 

 been found that nothing has encouraged liberality towards the British 



'-J Minutes, 9th and ;^()th July, 1853. In July of this year Museum 

 " Registers," or as they were tlieu tenued "Records of ( '(mtributions," were first 

 established (Minutes, aoth July, IHoli). 



i-''> Minutes, 8th February, 1851. 



'-« Minutes, 4.th December, 1852. 



.S5.5.S 

 '-' Minutes, 1st January, 185:?; Document, B — ■ — 



1 



