TllK AISI UAIJAN MUSEUM KAIM-V IllSIORV K I II |. i;l Im;K. ijKl 



" Km- wliii'h Siilai'ios arc providcil out uf llm Enilowiiicul ^n-aiili'il liy tln';<r<l 

 section of the samo Act. Hut tlic ollict? of Curator, liaviii;^ Ikmmi crcat«'<l 

 sul>si'(iu(>ntly to th*> jiassin^ of that Law and the StipiMul ai)i)ropriat<'<l by 

 a special vote of thi* LiM^islaturo. must )>o considercil as coniin^^ umlcr tliu 

 ;<7tli clause of the Constitution Act, which vests all appointments in the 

 (uivernor and Executive Council." 



Diii'iiig tlii« year tlie greatest beiiefactoi- of Natural .Science Australia 

 has yet seen, joined tlie Board — William .lolin Macleay — in Marcli, 

 ISdl'-"^, one widely known for liis public and juivate munificence and 

 scientitic .attainments. 



The Trustees again wrote in .huiuary stoutly maintaining tlieii- right 

 to the appointment ot" all persons in their employ, and asking permission 

 to send a deputation from their body to discuss the matter with tli6 

 Colonial Secretary-*^K To neither the letter or the request to be receiv^ed 

 was any answer sent until 27th March, when tlie Colonial Secretary not 

 only reiterated his former arguments, but adduced others in support of 

 his contention, and finally declined to give way-'^5_ After furtlier 

 correspondence, a Sub-Committee appointed by the Trustees drew up 

 cei'tain resolutions which were forwai"ded to the Govei'nment. 



It will clear the stage for further proceedings of a like nature, 

 should such ever arise, if these be quoted In e.denso. 



1 . That by the Act of Incorporation the ajipointment of all the officers of the 



Institution is by law invested m them only. 



2. That the Trustees are of opinion, that the Legislature having voted an 



amount for Salary of Curator whilst this law existed, must be taken to 

 have granted it with the knowledge that the appointment should rest with 

 the Trustees, and therefore that they are entitled to the disposition for 

 that purpose of the amount so voted. 



3. That independently of the question as to the right of appointment of the 



Curator, which of course also confers the right of dismissal, the Trustees 

 are of opinion that they would not have that control over an officer not 

 appointed by them which would be essential to the due management of 

 the Museum. 



4. That the Curator is not an officer of the Government but officer of an 



Institution endowed Vjy the Parliament in the same manner as the 

 University, the Benevolent Asylum, the Sychiey Infirmary, and similar 

 Institutions. 



5. That the Government has already recognised the right of the Trustees to 



appoint the Curator. In the case of Mr. Pittard this appointment was 

 made by them through the instrumentality of His Excellency, Sir W. T. 

 Denison, acting as one of the elected members of the Board, and not as 

 Governor-General, as communicated by their Secretary's letter to you, 

 from which the following is an extract : — 



"lam directed by the Trustees to inform you that, having trusted 

 " the selection of a competent gentleman to fill the office of Curator 

 "to Professor Owen and Mr. George Macleay, they have after much 

 "trouble and enquiry chosen Mr. S. R. Pittard, a memV)er of the 

 " Royal College of Surgeons of London and Demonstrator of Anatomy 

 " at the Grosvenor Place School, as the most eligible of candidates 

 " who presented themselves for appointment." 



■-'« Minutes, 7th February and 7th March, 18(il. 

 -fiJ ,, 2nd and 'Jth January, 18<52 ; Letter-book, ii., p. ;J5. 



4-0.62 



•■^«' Documents (52/8() and B.B. 



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