454 Proceediyujs. 



the mental tendency of these people would be transmitted to their offspring with unerring 

 certainty. To uproot this tendency, a good deal of severity, and, in some cases, a little 

 harshness, would be necessary. The action of the Jews was used as an illustration of 

 the writer's argument. They were charitable, and gave freely to Jew and Gentile, but, 

 among their own people, while they gave, they only did so that the receivers might be 

 able to work and help themselves. They never gave to enable any one to live a life of 

 idleness and dependence upon others so long as they were able to work. He thought our 

 charity was misapplied and wrong when pauperism was produced by such action. He 

 referred to the Communism of France, the Fenianism of Ireland, the Nihilism of Russia, 

 as the portents which hung over the world, and which might break up the civilization of 

 the present day. If the time came when the possession of property would be generally 

 regarded as theft, then they would realize, in its true and full import, the meaning of the 

 words "The Curse of Charity." 



Mr. Pond defended the expenditure upon our educational system, and thought that 

 so long as primary education was confined to the three R.'s there could be little harm 

 done in our expenditure upon education. He thought there was a greater tendency to an 

 idle life by those who received a secondary education largely at the public expense, than 

 among those who participated in our primary education. 



Dr. J. Murray Moore hoped that what Mr. Mackechnie had said would not shut up 

 the fountains of charity. There were people in distress in Auckland. There existed 

 here wives and families deserted by their husbands, and others who had drunken and 

 profligate husbands who were anything but a support to those they should sustain. 



3. " Observations on Geyser Eruptions and Terrace Formations," part 

 i., by J. Martin, F.G.S. 



Third Meeting, llth August, 1884. 

 H. G. Setli Smith, President, in the chair. 



New Member.— T. Steel. 



1. "Description of Mayor Island, Bay of Plenty," by E. C. Gold-Smith. 

 (Transactions, p. 417.) 



2. "Buddhism and its Evolution Theories," part i., by J. Murray 

 Moore, M.D. 



3. "Geyser Eruptions and Terrace Formations," part ii., by J. Martin, 

 F.G.S. 



Fourth Meeting. 7th September, 1884. 

 H„ G. Seth Smith, President, in the chair. 



1. " New Species of Colcoptera," by Captain T. Broun, M.E.S. 



2. " New Species of Plants," by T. F. Cheeseman. F.L.S. (Transac- 

 tions, p. 235.) 



3. Professor A. P. Thomas exhibited some specimens obtained from the Naples 

 Zoological Station, and made some verbal remarks thereon. 



4. " Buddhism and its Evolution Theories," part ii., by J, Murray 

 Moore, M.D. 



