551 . Proceedings. 



the Otago Museum committee. He really at the present moment did not know 

 who were the members of this body, how they were elected, and whether there 

 was any check over the proceedings. There was certainly no public check 

 over the committee of the Museum. Now, he did not think that this was a 

 desirable position for the committee of a public institution. He had always 

 taken a very warm interest in the Museum and Institute. He thought that 

 the fact that this Institute had been in existence for a number of years, and 

 had been kept together by the enthusiasm of a few, who did not lay any claim 

 to any great scientific wisdom, but who desired to see these things prosper, 

 was to a certain extent a guarantee that their hearts were in the work. For 

 his own part, he desired that the Museum should be either under the direction 

 of the Otago Institute, or, at any rate, should be managed by a public body 

 over which the public should have some say or control. He was not prepared 

 to say that the Institute should not contribute to the funds of the Museum ; 

 he did not go that length ; he liked to see the Museum prosper, but he could 

 not help regretting that the Museum was still in that position he had described. 

 He might point out that by their rules the Institute was bound to give one- 

 third of its funds to some public library or museum. The Institute had gone 

 a long way beyond this, having given a sum of £50 out of an income of .£86. 

 Captain Hutton replied at some length. He pointed out that the General 

 Government subscribed equivalent to pound for pound, and had made it a 

 condition for doing so that one-third of the revenue should be given to some 



public library. 



Mr. Webb thought that Captain Hutton had misunderstood the drift of Mr. 

 Gillies' remarks, which were to the effect that the Museum should be placed 

 under the care of a committee, or be incorporated, instead of being an 

 appendage of a Provincial Government department. 



Captain Hutton, in reply, objected to the Museum, which was a public 

 institution, being placed under the control of a private body like the Otago 

 Institute. The Museum was better far under its present management. It 

 was getting on well, and with the change proposed the public would not take 

 so much interest in it. 



Mr. Gillies explained that it was far from him to find any fault with the 

 voting of the money towards the Museum — he was glad the council had done 

 so. But he must say, and he thought it should be known by the public, that 

 the members of the committee of the Museum did nol 

 affairs of their institution which might be expect 

 occasion some time ago to go round town with a subscription list for the 

 purchase of some shells which Captain Hutton was extremely anxious to secure 

 for the Museum. Instead of being assisted bv members of the Museum 



d from them. He had 



'O 



actually 



He felt it was not right 



