XXXI. 



value of such institutions iu creating a refined taste in all 

 classes, exciting the interest of youth, extending their know- 

 ledge, and directing their studies. He also expatiated upon the 

 splendid Museums of different -cities in the world, contrasted 

 them with that of South Australia, and condemned the com- 

 parative indifference to intellectual cultivation therein indi- 

 cated. He described the Sydney Museum, its extensive collec- 

 tions, and the varied character of its contents ; also the magni- 

 ficent Melbourne Museum, which he said was about six times 

 as large as ours, and held within its walls almost every form 

 of creation. In addition to that was the Technological Museum, 

 containing a vast number of samples of stone, woods, manufac- 

 tured and raw material of every kind, shells, models of 

 machinery, and products of all sorts, whereby men of every 

 class, trade, or calling could find something to instruct or 

 amuse them. The attendance on last Easter Monday was 

 8,000, and he questioned whether our Museum attracted 1,000 

 on that day. In answer to the oft-repeated argument that 

 it was not fair to compare our colony with its more wealthy 

 neighbour, he instanced the Museums of the smaller colonies 

 of Queensland and New Zealand, which all exceeded ours in 

 every way. He closed by referring to his own action in Parlia- 

 ment with respect to the Museum, and expressed himself 

 strongly on the subject of making proper provision. The past, 

 he said, had been so barren of results, and the future seemed 

 so intangible, that the matter should be taken up without delay. 

 The other colonies were very far in advance of us ; collections 

 of great value were being lost to us, on account of people who 

 could give specimens to the Museum becoming disgusted and 

 discouraged ; the specimens already in our possession were 

 many of them stowed away for want of room ; the present 

 space was so limited that immediate enlargement was necessary, 

 and there were other potent reasons why something should be 

 done in the way of providing a Museum worthy of the reputa- 

 tion and importance of the colony. He mentioned instances 

 where valuable historical collections had been lost to Adelaide 

 for want of a place to put them in ; and after expatiating upon 

 their importance, expressed the opinion that if the Museum had 

 been put under a distinct Board of Governors it would have 

 attained a degree of importance far above that which it at 

 present occupied. In respect to the proposed new Institute 

 building, he remarked that the Museum even then would not 

 by any means compare in size with that of the crowded one in 

 Christchurch. The Museum, he thought, might be connected 

 with the Botanic Garden. In the past we had been always 

 going to do something great, and never did it, and now we were 

 so blinded with the brilliancy of what we were going to do that 



