xxxviii Reports of Committees. 



the command of a Victorian expedition, and promised that the Go- 

 vernment would give the most favourable consideration to a proposal 

 of this kind next Session of Parliament, and that, personally, he 

 wovdd give it his warmest support ; indeed, he thought he might say- 

 that there woidd be no difficulty in their carrying out the object. 



Another meeting of the Exploration Committee was held on the 

 17th February to receive the report of the deputation, when it was 

 agreed to prepare a statement of their proceedings in continuation of 

 the former report, to be laid before an early meeting of the Institute. 



Your committee has to express great disappointment at the 

 result of their interview with the late Chief Secretary. The proposal 

 that Victoria should take part in exploring the vast central regions of 

 Australia had met with an unanimous response from the public, and 

 had everywhere been warmly supported by the press, and your com- 

 mittee, therefore, had always entertained the hope that, by the libe- 

 rality of Parliament, they would be enabled to despatch a small party 

 to the Lower Darling, so as to be in time to start from Mount Mur- 

 chison on the first approach of the winter rains, in April or May of 

 the present year. Your Committee has only to regret the failure of 

 its just expectations, and they feel that this disappointment of their 

 hopes has been largely shared by all classes in the community. 



In the contemplation of making a renewed effort this year in the 

 cause of Australian exploration, your committee has received en- 

 couragement in the observations that fell from His Excellency the 

 Governor at the late dinner of the Philosophical Institute; and your 

 committee feels assured that in an object which so intimately concerns 

 the welfare and future prospects of Australia, the Philosophical Insti- 

 tute may always depend upon His Excellency's warmest sympathies 

 and most zealous co-operation. 



Your committee has no less pleasure in adverting to the fact that 

 Her Majesty's Ministers very kindly accepted an invitation to be pre- 

 sent at the dinner of the Institute, and that the Hon. John O'Shan- 

 nasy, the Chief Secretary, expressed a warm interest in the future ex- 

 ploration of Australia, and promised the concurrence and support of 

 the Government in any practicable scheme of exploration that might, 

 be proposed by the Philosophical Institute. 



Your committee earnestly hopes that on the return of Mr. Gregory 

 from his present expedition in search of Leichardt, he may be in- 

 duced to take the command of a Victorian expedition, and that thus 

 the difficulty, suggested by the late Government, will be removed ; 

 and, if an exploring expedition shall be successfully organised in Vic- 

 toria next season, under the able direction of Mr. Gregory, your com- 

 mittee will not regard as thrown away the long and anxious conside- 

 ration which has been devoted to this subject. 



It is confidently expected that Mr. Gregory will return to the 

 settled districts about the end of this year; and, although Mr. Babbage 

 will not have completed his exploration before the end of the rainy 



