SIR GEO. GREY'S PRINCELY GIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XV, Issue 3760, 29 August 1882, Page 2

SIR GEO. GREY'S PRINCELY GIFT.

At the maetiog »t the City Council last night, the nutter of Sir George Grey's gift of his valuable library to the citizens of Auckland came up for consideration, the subject being introduced by the reading of a letter from Mr J. M. Shera, enclosing a telegram from the generous donor.

The Mayor said he had no doubt that councillors had been made aware by me Press of what had been doae in this matter. He had taken it on himself on the spur ot the moment to ask Mr Slier* to thank Sir George Grey for his aiuuificeat gift on behalf of tha Council and citizens, aud to say that an official anawer would be«eat by the Council as aeon as possible. It appeared to him, oa looking at the telegraai more closely, that before Sir George Grey would write again he would wiih lome eommnnicatioa from tbe Cou»eil as to how they would deal with the library, lie thought it desirable, therefore, to convey to Sir George Grey, on behalf et the citizens and Council, hearty thanks for his munificent gift; and, at tne same time, informing him that tbe Council would take the best means in their power for receiving the gift. He proposed that this reply should be telegraphed ; and, further, that the matter should be referred to the Library Committee with power to confer with the Aucklind Museum Council, to arrange for the temporary custouy ot the library. Cr Aickin heartily seconded the proportion and warmly endorsed the remarks of the Mayor. He thiugkt every councillor should have somethiu^' to say on the ject. The gift made by Sir George Grey was not only a giit to the city and province —it was a national gift, and the Itaat cue Council could do would be to thank tim yery cordially for it. Cr Crowther eagerly supported the. resolution, declaring at the same time that he felt more than he could say. The gift was a noble one, and came in very gooii time. The Free Library was now in its infancy, and gilts of the kind were as timeoua a* they were likely to be productive of good. After thia last addition, he did not think we should be behind other libraries in New Zealand, lie trusted the example set by Sir George Grey would spur others on to follow the same course. Free libraries, he considered, were the nobjest features of all progressive cities, and in the colonies we had more reason to be proud, tot while it waa acknowledged that we were energetic in our own interests, we were cot credited with such public philanthropy a.s wii sometimes manifested at Home. He fervently hoped that we should soon have a suitable building in which to place this valuable property.

Cr Flemiag agreed with the opinion expressed b; the niov«r and secender of the resolution. He considered the gift of Mr G. Grey should stimulate them to provide a suitable building to pat it in. It wai time a atari was made with the Town Hail and Public Library. He did not think the old Mechanic*' Icstitute »« ssitabie, and he hoped they would try to g«t a proper bniidbz aa icon as pessible.

Mr Waddel said that while he joined with the other speakers in thanking Sir George Grey for his gifr, he did not expect to get the library up from the Kiwaa in a week or two. &s he understood the telegraoj, the library waa to be in trust of the Mayor and Councillors for the Auckland University, and not for tbe Public Library.

The Mayor again read the telegram, when it wad seen that there was in it the distinct tUtemest th.it the library was to be a gift to the citizens of Auckland.

Cr Montague deprecated any cavilling i with regard to the terms of the telegram. , The gift waa a noble one, and he koped [ that it would act ai an incentive to oshVs i to go and do likewise. j Cr Hemna also felt grateful for the gift, and he considered tbat the most practical way of sheiring their appreciation, would r be t« phce it as iooa as possible within a bailding worthy of such a valuable library. S eiag that the Town Hall Committee had dtlivered their report, he hoped taat immediate itepa would be taken for supplylog the requiremeotu of ths city in the direction indicated. Auckland wu growing very fa*t, acd it was high time tbat it i was provided wilh a Town Hall, especially aa the money set apart for toe parpoae was I gradually growing le»a. Sir Geoige Grey't gift would, perhaps, lead those who had not before s«en the advisability of haviDg a Free Pubic Library, qair.e apart from a Town Hall, *o acknowledge th*t there was reason for it cow-—a library which might be extended largely aa oar means increased and the eircumstincei warranted.

Cr Pbillippa likewise desired to give uttcance to the gratitude which citizens generally owed ►•.r Gtorge Grey for his iavaluable present. He considered Cr tiemua's suggestion worthy of adaption, and he hoped therefore, U»t plans would be at once ordered for a building which would cot only compriie a Free Public I Library, bat a School of Art as well. The entire project might not be eitriid oat at oace, but it shonld be at least the basis upon which they would

proceed to the end towards which tbey would move. Melbourne and other cities had such buildings, many ot them still in an incomplete state, bat added tn from time to time as funds and occasion warnated, each addition being made in conformity wi'h the original plan. He highly appreciated Sir G<o. Grey's munificent gift, It was one which would not merely benefit Auckland, but the colony at large. The Mayor, in closing the discussion, said that with regard to a point raised by : Cr. Hemus, he might mention that the Town Hall Committee baa not reported finally. A minnt-; of its last proceedioga had simply been read as an interim report The Town Clerk, in ac- ' cordance with a resolution passed by the j committee, had been getting information ■ from various corporations which bad town halls, and as the required dnta w*3 now nearly complete, tbe committee would be called tO2ether at an early date to consider : the whole matter, when the question ! whether the Free Library building should form part of the Town Hall would engage ; attention, and poasibly form part of the re- ' port to be submitted to the Council. Id : this connection he thought he might refer to a nutter which the conn- , cillors doubtless hid noticed, namely, : that the Auckland Savings Bank »-iIl had j passed through tbe Legislative Council, and ! woald probably pass the House of BepreS sentatives also. Under it, power was given the trustees of the Smugs Bank to apply Ito miintenaace of a Free Poblic Library I araorga: otber public purposes any savings • over aa'd above ten per cent of the deposits. : (Hear, hear.) Now, even if the Auckland { Savings Bank only valued its Queen-«tre?t pioperty at the absardly low rate of £100 ! p»r foot, they bad between £4000 and ' £5000 available as a surplus over tbe pie- ; acribed ten per cent. 'I his (hewed a : balance of £28,000 or £29,000, the deposits I amonntinjj to £240,000. If, however, the ' Queen-street property were appraised at I something approaching its value («ay, £250 . per foot) there would be a surplus of £7000 or £5000 immediately available for expenditure by the trustees, thus enabling (hem to help the Council in buildinga suitable structure for a Free Library. He hoped tbat they would be able to set apart sufficient from the £20,000 for the purpose, which, if supplemented by the amount iadicated from the Savings Bank, would afford them tbe mean* of making a very fair beginning indeed. He might aho mention—as, in fact, he had mentioned ii already—tbat he was prepared to do lomething in the way of establishing a Picture Gallery or school of Arts—either by coitiibutingto the erectiun of the necessary building or to the procnral of the first art supplies, viz., picture?. He had set apart for the pnrpose the Mayor's salary for this year, and that snm be intended to supplement with another £250. He therefore considered tbat he heli this £500 in ttnst for art, to be expended either on a picture gallery or School of Art, if one is founded by the City Cooncil or the Governors of the Auckland In«titute—that was so l«cg as the building was frve to trie citizens, they should have the dispcsal of his eift. If the Council and the trustees of the Savings Bank could make suitable arrangements for the library, then tbe money could go for the purchase of appliances for a School of Art.

The Mayor's resolution was then put and carri-d, tt being understood that the letter communicating it to Sir George Grey should be properly amplified, and that Mr Shera should also receive a letter of thanks for the interest he bad taken in the matter