TEE POSE ae ee Se 
Epes = Seis itis sarc anis 
Haast.—On the Early History of the Canterbury Museum. 513 
large as possible, I appealed, by circular and through the newspapers—the 
proprietors of which have always lent me a willing hand—to the inhabitants 
of the Province, and in a few months I raised the sum of £483 11s. The 
list of subscriptions was headed by. our fellow-citizen, Mr. George Gould, 
with £30, and was the first of the many valuable gifts with which this large- 
hearted man, always willing and ready to render assistance at every oppor- 
tunity when help is required, enriched the Canterbury Museum. We had 
therefore a sum of £1,683 11s. at our disposal, and as the Provincial 
Government gave also the stone wanted for the building, we were enabled 
the walls, thus giving additional space, and a lean-to 35 feet long and 12 
feet broad for an office anda work-room. The building was begun in March 
of 1869, and handed over by the contractor at the end of the same year. 
Like a number of observing men, I had long ago come to the conclusion 
that the days of Provincialism would soon be numbered, and that Centrali- 
zation would supersede the former system. The Superintendents, Members 
of Executives, and Provincial Councils in the General Assembly, formed 
such a powerful party that any Ministry, even with the most Provincial 
tendencies, found it impossible to steer the General Government barque 
Without suffering constantly from the influence of Provincial cross seas. 
At the same time it became evident that at the rate the waste lands were 
being sold, such an easy source of revenue would some day come to an end, 
and that then those institutions which were more or less regarded as a 
lnxury would suffer most seriously, the more so if central institutions of the 
Same character had to be maintained at the public cost. 
Consequently, at the end of February, 1869, I handed aacthar meek: 
connection with technical science and education was pleaded, urging upon 
the Government to make reserves for the purpose in good time. However, 
the proposal of the Provincial Government in that direction, made to the 
- Council in May of the same year, did not lead to any result, although only 
_ 80 endowment of 5,000 aeres of agricultural land was asked for. Never- 
theless we did not lose all hope, and the Philosophical Institute, together 
to the enlightened policy of the Executive of which Mr. Walter 
_ to erect a room 70 feet long and 35 feet broad, with a gallery running round — 
~~ : 
‘Yandum to the Provincial Secretary, in which the cause of the Museum in — 
2 “os other friends of science, continued to move in that direction, till at - 
ennaoy washed, and Mr. W. P. Cowlishaw the Provincial Solicitor— — 3 
a ee er ee 
