PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE OF CANTERBURY. 



Sixth Meeting. August 3, 1870. 

 Dr. Haast, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Mr. G. Buckley was elected a member of the Institute. 



The Secretary submitted the following resolution from the Council : — 

 " That the Council recommend to the immediate and earnest considera- 

 tion of this Institute, the propriety of petitioning the House of Repre- 

 sentatives to take steps with a view to establishing a School of Mines in 

 New Zealand." 



Dr. Powell then moved, — " That it is of the utmost importance that 

 a School of Mines be established in New Zealand, and that Christchurch 

 presents peculiar advantages for the establishment of such a School — 

 {a) from its central position between the mining districts of Otago, West- 

 land, and Nelson ; (h) from its easy access from all sides by the present 

 and prospective means of iailand communication ; (c) by the high standard 

 of its Public Schools ; [d) by its possession of a large, well-ordered, and 

 rapidly increasing Museum, in connection with most of the principal 

 Museums in the Northern Hemisphere ; {f) by the fact of large reserves 

 of land having been already made for the endowment of kindred educa- 

 tional purposes." 



Mr. Davie seconded the motion. 



The President expressed his strong approval of the course proposed 

 to be adopted. He deemed the establishment of a School for instruction 

 in mining matters of the very greatest moment. As one argument in 

 support of the motion, he alluded to the large sums of money which had 

 been squandered, not merely in Auckland speculations, but in searching 

 for gold in parts of this province where there was not the slightest 

 probability of its being found. He also pointed out that many persons 

 might attend a School of Mines who were not actually miners, but who 

 desired instruction in geology, mineralogy, chemistry, or other allied 

 sciences. He was of opinion that the arguments in respect to the 



