627 



Inter alia this memorial states: — "Your memorialists are 

 authorized to negotiate for the incorporation of the Adelaide 

 Philosophical Society with the South Australian Institute. 

 It is impossible that such incorporation can be 

 effected, until the S.A. Institute has at its disposal a per- 

 manent and suitably designed building, affording ample 

 accommodation for its various requirements. One of the 

 principal objects of our Society is the formation of a Museum 

 illustrative of the Natural History of the Province, and it is 

 useless to take any steps in furtherance of this object until 

 a suitable room is provided for preserving the specimens 

 collected, although valuable specimens would then be imme- 

 diately available, many of which in a few ^^^ears' time it would 

 be impossible to replace." 



Parliament found it impossible to resist the pressure 

 brought to bear upon it and the sum was passed. 



The next matter that aroused great controversy was tlie 

 site of the proposed building. Parliament had selected a site 

 between the back of the present City Baths and the Cheer-up 

 Hut. This evoked the most heated discussions in the news- 

 papers, and resulted in many deputations and public meetings. 



The Philosophical Society threw the weight of its in- 

 fluence into the scales on behalf of a more prominent and 

 accessible position. In addition to much private wire-pulling, 

 they embodied their views in another memorial to His Excel- 

 lency Sir R. G. MacDonnell, at that time their President. 

 Once more the well-known caligraphy of J. H. Clark can be 

 recognized in the draft. "Your memoralists have learned 

 with regret that it is proposed to erect a building, to be 

 devoted to the objects of the Institute, in a locality which 

 appears to them to be objectionable in many respects; inas- 

 much as the site selected is so much lower than North Terrace, 

 that not only will the building (which should ultimately become 

 one of the chief ornaments of the city) be almost hidden from 

 sight, but its situation will be neither convenient for public 

 aecess, nor advantageous for meteorological observations, 

 whilst the steep gradient of the City Bridge Road will neces- 

 sarily render the approaches to the building unsafe for the 

 large number of vehicles, which will hereafter be frequently 

 gathered together at night, on the occasion of lectures or 

 soirees connected with the Institute or its affiliated societies. 

 Inasmuch as the Houses of Parliament are, and 

 long will be, amply sufficient for the requirements of the 

 colony, it is needless to leave unoccupied the excellent site 

 for an important public building, which could be made avail- 

 able at the corner of North Terrace and the City Bridge Road, 

 and which is at present said to be preserved for future new 



