First Annual Report by the Governors of tlie New Zealand 



Institute. 



The first meeting of the Governors for the transaction of business was 

 held on the 24th January, 1868, and since then on the following dates : — 

 12th and 25th February, KJth June, 22nd October, 2nd November, 

 1868; and 14th May, 1869. 



The rules which the Governors are empowered to make under the 

 Act of Incorporation were framed and published in. the New Zealand 

 Gazette^ on 9th March, 1868, as required by law. 



An arrangement has been made with the Government with respect 

 to the custody of the Museum and Laboratory, and although it was not 

 considered advisable that the present buildings, which are of a character 

 that will require constant repair, sho\ild be conveyed in the terms of the 

 Act, the management of the collection is entirely in the hands of the 

 Governors, who have therefore power to make the necessary exchanges 

 and distribution of duplicates, for the purpose of enriching other 

 Museums in the colony. 



The Manager's Report on the Museum and Laboratory, hereto 

 appended, shows tliat the state of the Institute is satisfactory. 



The endowment voted by the Legislature for 1867-8 was applied by 

 Government towards defraying the building chai'ges, as there were at 

 that time no Incorporated Societies, and the Institute property then 

 belonged wholly to Government. 



The endowment for 1868-9, of £500, was applied in the manner 

 shown in the appended accounts. 



The largest item is the expense of piinting the Transactions for the 

 year ; the size of the volume being nearly doubled by the addition of 

 the New Zealand Exhibition Essays, which were placed at the disposal 

 of the Governors by the Colonial Government for publication. 



The volume was issued in May last, and contains 400 pages of print 

 and thirteen illustrations. A copy of the volume has been distributed 

 to each member of the affiliated Societies^ 270 in number ; 25 copies 

 have been presented to public libraries in New Zealand ; 50 presentation 

 copies have been distributed in England and other countries, including 

 the colonies; 100 copies have been allotted for sale at 15s. each; and 

 the remainder of the edition of 500 coj^ies has been reserved to complete 

 the sets of future members. 



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