134 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
fore the Board of Governors would remain very much as it is. 
The three members who are now elected nearly always reside in 
Wellington, and fairly represent the affiliated societies. 
I must be allowed to say that I think the use of the words 
“democratic community ” and “representatives by election” by 
Mr. Thomson rather out of place in a scientific paper of any 
kind. Nothing, to my mind, is more objectionable than the ex- 
treme democratic tendencies of the Colony as it is, and if we 
are to have the evils resulting therefrom—I allude more parti- 
cularly to the low standard of education shown by the generality 
of our public men—forced upon the New Zealand Institute, time 
it will be for the work of the Institute to cease. Before I could 
concur in the advisability of a Democratic Institute I should 
prefer to see our Members of Parliament show a greater know- 
ledge of history, a greater acquaintance with those time-honored 
principles of government which public men should possess.* I 
should, therefore, be sorry to see the principle of “ representatives 
by election” applied, in the fullest degree, to the Board of 
Governors of the New Zealand Institute, as advocated by Mr. 
Thomson, whose next and proper step would doubtless be the 
election of our Law Judges, a plan followed in the United States 
of America with the most disastrous results. 
At the present time the Board of Governors of the New Zea- 
land Institute consists of the Governor, the Colonial Secretary, 
six nominated members, and three elected members. As soon 
as the time arrives for Parliament to hand over to the Board of 
Governors the powers contemplated by the Act of 1867, and as 
soon as the funds of the Branch Societies come more fully to be 
administered by the Central Board, I shall be quite willing to 
meet Mr. Thomson half way in this matter of election, and I 
would be prepared to reduce the number of nominated members 
and enact a proportionate increase in the number of elected 
members. Such a concession should be deemed amply sufficient. 
The history of the Royal and other scientific societies at Home, 
proves how advantageous for good has been the practice of the 
Crown independently nominating gentlemen to control the ex- 
penditure of, and public grants to, these societies, especially dur- 
ing their infant stage. Mr. Thomson says that “scientific bodies, 
perhaps above all others, are impatient of official control.” It 
appears to me that quite the opposite has been found the case. 
English scientific bodies owe a very great deal to official control. 
Mr. Thomson may rely upon it, that if the principle of elec- 
tion is carried to the fullest extent, pushing energetic men of 
inferior attainments will secure their own election, whilst good 
men will remain in the background, not caring to trouble them- 
selves to contest the point. 
I think we may almost leave well alone. The Board of 
Governors is fairly nominated and elected. The 1867 Actisa 
* I am acquainted with an instance of a at elected M.H.R. who, to qualify 
himself for his duties, read through the whole of the published ‘‘ Hansards,” think- 
ing ¢hat a proper foundation, 
