INAUGURAL MEETING 1897 - 1898 . 
189 
lack of room that existed at present. If that was so, all he had 
to say was that he hoped, if the Institute was launched upon the 
successful career foreshadowed for it by that night’s proceedings, 
that before long it would have a more suitable habitat. In fact, 
he hoped that before the opening address of the next session was 
delivered, they would have a lecture room which would enable 
the Institute to carry out successfully its aims and objects. 
His Excellency the Governor, on rising to deliver the open- 
ing address, said it was the habit in the House of Commons, 
before making a speech, to reply by courtesy, to the 
speech that had been made before, or at all events refer to it. 
He would, therefore, with their permission, thank the Vice-Presi- 
dent for his kind words of welcome to Lady J erningham and 
himself, and express his regret, in accordance with the Vice- 
President’s remarks, that Sir John Goldney, the President of the 
Institute, could not be there. Sir John Goldney took so much 
interest in the Victoria Institute, that he (the Governor) had not 
been an hour in the Colony, and had not had time to have 
breakfast, when he (Sir John Goldney) placed in his hands every 
document he could find with regard to the Institute. After he 
he had been sworn in, Sit J ohn Goldney urged him to take up the 
cause of having lectures for the public benefit, therefore to him 
was due the initiation of the interest and of the benefit which 
would be derived from lectures of that kind. He entirely agreed 
with the Hon’ble the Mayor in his remark that in order to make 
those lectures more interesting and to. be appreciated in the 
Colony, there should be a larger locale, and it was quite evident 
that the people to whom they appealed especially and who wished 
to be instructed in a pleasant manner, were those who should 
come innumbers, and be admittedas freely as possible on thenights 
when there were lectures concerning themselves. He entirely 
agreed with the sentiments, and therefore he thought he might 
take upon himself to say that he should certainly work with the 
Institute to try and provide for that want. Sir J ohn Goldney 
desired that he (the Governor) should be Patron, and it appeared 
that the Governor was generally the Patron and after he had 
told Sir John Goldney that he entirely coincided with his ideas 
and his views, he was then invited by the Committee of the 
Institute to become Patron and to do what he could for an 
institution which they say was in a moribund condition. He 
thought at the time that a body of men, a noble band, and they 
he might say, of gentlemen in this Colony who, after a toilsome 
day, could go and give their leisure, to expound their own know- 
ledge of subjects, to give to the community the benefit of their 
experience, who did not grudge those minutes, — those men 
constituted a noble band, and they should be rewarded for their 
