46 



As to management. In the first place, the abnormal connection be- 

 tween the Museum and the Library should be severed, as their interests 

 are somewhat antagonistic. This view is advocated by the press, and in 

 an article in the Advertise?; October 28, 1 876, it is there urged that " the 

 keeping up of our reading-room in its present state of efficiency, and the 

 formation and development of a free public library, is enough to tax the 

 energies of a single body of men. As for a Museum, we do not think it 

 should be regarded as a part of the Institute at all." It has always 

 seemed to me that it would be an advantage to establish some kind of 

 connection between the Museum and the University — a centre of liberal 

 education where science asserts its proper position — because those who 

 have had most experience in oral teaching will probably be best qualified 

 to assist in its oversight. The principles which are recognised as applic- 

 able to education in general apply equally to the arrangement of museums 

 in so far as their educational functions are concerned. The order in 

 which the knowledge of things is best received and retained in the 

 memory is precisely that in which the things themselves were evolved . 

 consequently, the arrangement which in a Museum is best adapted to 

 impart instruction is at the same time that which best records the history 

 of the things exhibited. As the University must have a Museum, and 

 impressed with desirableness of economising space and effort, I suggested 

 to the Council that it should seek to amalgamate the two interests. At 

 a meeting of the Council, held December 15, 1876, two resolutions were 

 unanimously carried, the one affirming the inexpediency of having more 

 than one Museum for the Province, and the other appointing a Committee 

 to confer with the Governors of the Institute about the whole question. 

 The results of that conference have not been publicly made known. But 

 there still remains another course to be followed, by which the evils of 

 having two Museums may be avoided ; that is by each one becoming to 

 some extent exhaustive in a special direction. 



It may not be too late to direct the attention of the proper 

 authorities to the existing defects, with the view of carrying out the 

 urgently needed reform in connection with the proposed new Museum. 



LOCAL AID TO SCIENCE. 

 While on the subject of National Aid to Science, I may remind you 

 that your efforts to induce the State to undertake a geological survey of 

 the colony, which at one time seemed likely to be crowned with success 

 have proved futile. The reason assigned for not instituting such a depart- 

 ment is that of expense. We, who believe that such an organisation 



