130 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



acre grazing blocks. Mr. F, G. A. Barnard laid the matter 

 before the general meeting of the Club, and Mr. F. Wise- 

 would, the other of our vice-presidents, brought it under 

 the notice of the Royal Society Council. As secretary of 

 the latter body, I was instructed to write to the Minister, the 

 Hon. J. Murray, and request him to stay his hand till we could 

 arrange a deputation. The Club meanwhile appointed the 

 president (Mr. Sayce), Mr. Wisewould, and myself to act on its 

 behalf. Events moved quickly, and I received what, through 

 delay in receiving the Minister's letter, amounted to two days' 

 notice of his willingness to receive a deputation. There was no 

 time to meet to draw up a statement of our requests, but still several 

 leading men were seen, and we managed to get representatives of 

 the Club, the Royal Society, the Royal Geographical Society, and 

 the Ornithologists' Union to promise to attend. 



Meanwhile it was necessary to find out exactly how matters lay. 

 With the assistance of Mr. A. D. Hardy, a member of our com- 

 mittee and an officer of the Lands Department, it was discovered 

 that we had been living in a fool's paradise. There was no 

 permanent reservation, which would have meant the necessity of 

 an Act of Parliament before the land could be applied to any 

 other purpose. Instead of this we found that not till 1898 had a 

 still later Minister of Lands, Mr. R. W. Best, reserved the land, 

 and then only as a temporary reserve for the site of a National 

 Park (see Government Gazette for S/jIgS, p. 2,690). A reserve 

 under these conditions, as the Club has repeatedly found by 

 sad experience, is practically of no value. It is under the 

 absolute control of the Ministry, and may be alienated at will. 



Our deputation was duly made, and was a representative 

 one. It was introduced by our fellow-member, the Hon. Frank 

 Madden, Speaker of the House. He earnestly supported our 

 claim. Professor Baldwin Spencer, as president of the Royal 

 Society, gave the details, and several other gentlemen spoke. 

 The Minister said he had already thrown the leases open, but 

 would lay the matter before the Cabinet, This he did, with 

 the result that the subdivison was cancelled, and for this respite 

 we owe him our warm thanks. 



Still it was felt that matters should be further advanced, and 

 that at once. There was no need for any delay, and Professor 

 Spencer and myself, as representatives already appointed by the 

 Royal Society and the Club, thought that a public meeting should 

 be called. A letter to the press by the Professor roused interest 

 in the matter, and olifers of support were received on all sides. 

 A strong committee met at the Town Hall and the meeting was 

 decided on, Professor Spencer being appointed secretary of the 

 movement. 



