PROCEEDINGS, APRIL. IX 



22. Both ships must be in Port Philip Bay and ready to start on the 

 15th of October. 



23. That in case of any difficulty arising in England between the 

 Agent-General and contractor, it shall be referred to the British 

 Antarctic Committee for decision. 



Mr. Sprent said the Royal Society of Victoria and the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society of Australia had written about this matter, and he had 

 read a paper on the subject in September, when the Fellows passed a 

 resolution to urge upon the Government the desirableness of Tasmania 

 co-operating with the other Colonies in the proposed Antarctic expedi- 

 tion. He suggested that the papers be laid upon the table and 

 discussed at the next meeting of the Society. 



The Hon. Dr. Agnew said this was a very important matter, and one 

 the Colonies were bound to take up. The expense would not be very 

 great, for should all the colonies combine, and if the contributions 

 ■were put on the ratio of population, the sum required from Tasmania 

 would not be a very large one for the Premier to put on the estimates. 

 Certainly this Colony should take an active part in the matter, and he 

 hoped that by next October they would see the ships of the expedition 

 in their harbour. (Hear, hear.) 



The Hon. P. 0. Fysh expressed his entire sympathy with the objects 

 of the proposed expedition. The monument they had erected in their 

 public square to the memory of Sir John Franklin should indicate the 

 spirit in Avhich the colony would deal with this question. That which 

 was most noble in his life, and formed the great object for which his 

 life was given, the people here should sympathise with and support. 

 (Hear, hear.) The scientific aspect of this question would undoubtedly 

 commend itself largely to the gentlemen present, but to those who 

 were utilitarian in their views they would have to speak of the com- 

 mercial value of enterprises of this kind. They should hope that if 

 this colony undertook to pay a portion of the expense, a specific com- 

 mercial benefit would result, so far as Hobart v/as concerned. The 

 probability was that the last starting point of the expedition would 

 be from their own bay. In that case the people of Tasmania would 

 take a very lively interest in it. The small amount of expenditure 

 they would undertake in the matter would result in an advantage 

 to Tasmania as much as to the other colonies, while it would also 

 help to cultivate that federal spirit which they were so anxious to see 

 •developing. (Applause.) The expense to Tasmania would only be 

 about £500, and without committing himself in any way as to what 

 the Government might be disposed to do, he did not think it was 

 ■necessary on an occasion of that kind to hide his own opinion under 

 a bushel. (Applause). 



The Bishop of Tasmania deprecated the matter being put off as 

 suggested by Mr. Sprent. The subject was not one that needed 

 a great deal of thrashing out, but it did need prompt action, or they 

 might be left in the lurch. He hoped the Society would entrust to 

 the council the authority to represent it in approaching the Govern- 

 ment, and in keeping this question very closely pressed home oa 

 their attention. (Applause.) He would move,—" That the council 

 be authorised to approach the Government on behalf of the Royal 

 Society in connection with the Antarctic Exploration Fund." 



Mr. Sprent seconded, and pointed out that unless they were prompt 

 in their action they were liable to be forestalled. He said that Barou 

 Nordenskjold was organising an expedition to the Antarctic circle, 

 under the patronage of the King of Sweden. It would be rather 

 hurtful to their Imperial notions to have a small power like Sweden 

 preceding them in the exploration of their seas. After the encouraging 



