CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2783, 10 July 1874, Page 2

CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College! was held yesterday at ;3.30 p.m. ~ Fresent-rMr J. 8. Williama f president), His Honor'; the Soperintendent, Right Eev toe' Primate, Hia Hohorthe Judge, Beys C. Fraser, W. J. Habeni, W> ,W, Willock, and J. Bailer, Mpaara Potts, Kriigbt, Tancred,. Montgomery, Inglis, Cowiiihaw, Kennaway, Bowen, and Dr Turnbull. The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed.

election of chairmaw. '_...„ The Chairman said it would be necessary for the meeting to proceed to the election ol a chairman for the ensuing year, the termi ol office of the present one expiring on the Sttt July. The Bth clause of the Ordinance under which they were incorporated provided tor the election of a chairman yearly, by M votes of the members then present at tha m HtaUonor the Superintendent saidhe had very great pleasure in nßing.to propose that Mr J; S. Williams be re-elected as chairman. I Hear, hear.] There could be no more effiiicnt one found, and hr'fftN sure tbe. pubha would feel great satisfacUon m the eleotiorx, Honpr the Judge sal* second themotion, pleasure ; indeed, b* was time W%

xesolution himself -, when his Honor the Saperinterident rose and anticipated him. Mr Williams said he had no objection to undertake the duties again for another year ; but it seemed to bim that it would be productive of mterest in the work of the College if the chairmanship was filled by the various members of the Board of Governors in turn. However, he would, as he had said, undertake the office for another year. [Hear, hear.] The motion waa then put and carried ucKuimously.

opening the museum. The chairman said the next business before the meeting would be the consideration of the following resolution, given notice of by Mr Inglis at last meeting of the Board, viz: • __" That the Museum be opened to tbe public for three hours on Good Friday and Chriat* jnas Day." Mr Inglis said he would like to amend his resolution slightly, by inserting tbe words— 41 and on all general holidays." The amendment was made. Mr Inglis desired, in bringing this motion forward, to disclaim most emphatically any intention of importing any polemics or religious differences into their discussions. Indeed, bo far from this, be bad always endeavoured most studiously to keep any semblance of polr mics out of any discussion of public: matters in which he had been concerned. It seemed to him that this resolution followed as a natural sequence upon the resolution they, had already carried as regarded opening the Museum on Sunday. He did not say whether that resolution was tight or wrong, but it appeared to him that this came as a matter of course, and that to be consistent they must agree to it. He would not say anything farther, but would ; ' aimply move the resolution. After some little time had elapsed without . the resolution being seconded, The Bey 0. Fraser Beconded the resolution. ■ It had been aaid that no application had been made for this step, but it seemed to him tbat -it was to be deprecated that this should be ; sought for. The days were observed by a ■-: large number of the community as holidays, and upon holidays there was always a large - attendance at the Museum. The Bight Bey the Primate had not been : present at the last meeting when the resolution passed at the recent session of the Provincial Council as to opening the Museum came before the Board of Governors, but it appeared to him from what he had read that a great deal of pressure had been : brought to bear upon them from without, the resolution he had referred to coming ;..from;the Provincial Council, whom they were bound to regard as the representatives of public opinion. But in this case it was very different: the pressure came to them, ?>: net from ■without,, but from their own midst, and he deprecated it being brought forward as likely to cause dissension amongst them, -and a division of opinion on religious matters, which be did not: think should take place there. [Seari hear.]: Respecting the resolution passed last meeting relative to the opening of the Museum on Sunday, he did not say that,he should have voted against it if he bad .been: present, but he should have voted for it with very great -reluctance. He might say that he looked upon the'present !!* .motion as a 'very different one. Though; the opening of the Museum on Sunday was J :opposed!;to the habits in: which they had been brought up, it was not really so '■::. repugnant tea largo section of the community as the holding holiday and festii :-talon Good, Friday, one of the most Bblemn days in the celebration of. two religious" r-j Ibodiess: .-Ife was- well known that this day ' was, in the bodies to which he referred, held as particularly solemn, and sot at all one •j.iWopoU*.which persona ahould keep holiday. As to Christmas day, there was not so -much objection, as that was regarded in the light As he had said before, he deprecated the : introduction of resolutions of this character, as likely to bring on polemical discussion amongst them, and for this and the other grounds he hadadvanced, he should oppose the resolutions now before tbe Board. Bis Honor the Judge waa quite of the .-v-u janjeiopipion aatfce Bight Bey the Primate.' Friday was regarded,, j So %yjjfcbej4?P(B_muniQn to Which he (the judge) belonged, and also the Boman Catholic> Y.iiJrjfhujfch-Tas ; a day of mourning and sdrrow, rather than: pf festivity and. holiday making. Bfeyrwereasked,to wound the feelings of a. iSection of: the commnnity, and for what? Simply that the Museum should be opened for three hours on one day in the year, i- 'He: should move.as an amendment that tbe.wprda "Good Friday'? be omitted,

SO _U«s ; &u«J .tcnytuuiwM .-.»» «".««_ ____, ._»..... the -.opened .for three hours on Christmas Day : and,other public holidays throagbout.theyear." •; ... Mr W. Kjenpaway would wish to know whether; tbe. Museum was. now opened on general holidays ? : j,. - .[Hia Honorthe Superintendent said -that "the Museum-.was opes .on all general holi- * Mr Kennaway would then point out that' : this motion was aimed at opening tbe Museum b_i Christmas -Day and Good Friday. Well b«|. sow they-were going to ppenthe Museum for * ftrjj-twodayi; more than formerly in the ryesrf and "there was no w no room for people to sarthatthere waa not opportunity for all persons ,to see the Museum. He should oph '_posa the motion. . . • ■■■■-. ■ ■ i^VsHiß'Honor the -Superintendent said be ' wpnldjraggest to the mover and seconder of tbia 1 resolution the propriety of withdrawing ifc.i [Hear, hear.] They had had an opportunity of ventilating the subject, and of ■•• bearing tha opinions of the Board on the aobieet, ana now be. thought tbat they should wtthdfaW it; r [Hear, hear.] While saying this, howeyer,lbe was bound to say this also, that heconsidered the Board of Governors of the 1 College had arrived at the resolution pasted at the last meeting of the board ~Ttp the opening of the Mueeum rM to .the public on Bund_ys on the broad ground that one man's liberty should not be judged by another man's conscience— in other words, on ; ibe ground of religious ' liberty and equality,—and he might say he was in favor of it. Now the College, by passing this resolution, had laid down and > rastented 'to that broad principle, and it X ' seemed' to him tbat, to be consistent, they . would be bound to acquiesce if a request "were made to them bj a section or sections f • of the community, to whom the observance ' .of aipecial day or days was.not a matter of ' ; <i__rort_i_ce for the openioiof the Museum ! , i-oanhoae: days. While saying this, per- " ronally he could not go with the mover and ,- seconder in, the matter of going to the " C - Museum on Good Friday but be should feel s ._. baundto vote for it if the representatives>of ' anvsectibnsof the community who held these .. *iew_ came to the College and asked for the ' ' ' oDemoßof the Museum on certain days, on • Sebroid ground of religious liberty for their Tespective bodies. He, however, was very ° soot to see the motion brought forward, iy^; .andfwould suggest its withdrawal. [Hear, */.-' h WPotta agreed with Mr Kennaway, that * tbere was no necessity for opening tne - Maseumoa additionaldays. Tbepeoplenaa * :' "' now the. opportunity of seeing the Museum and he looked upon it that it —-g not.at all necessary to open it as now ""' proposed- He should oppose the resolution. Mr Bowen. said it appeared to him that *' s tie burden of proof as to the necessity whiekewated for theopening of the Museum «d ihe days named in tbe resolution laid TLat. the mover of the motion. It seemed * ♦__!__« tbit it was a fairly debateable point, ' _:_•*_« the Museum should be opened on ' SbmSvß ; but with regard to that before the «'" SSeSS b* -w no necessity for it, and *"'■■ __«_f__eshould vote against it. , _ • %ct wTHabena hoped this resolution __-.sss_a«fisfewis .■ ," desire to point out that there ww » / ; ? -Scb larger section of the na£ V regarded fifty-two days in the year as par-

not been in the least respected either by the Provincial Council or tbe Board of Governors. [Hear, hear/] Dr Turnbull contended tbat they woe now forming the community into two distinct religious sections. Those who were now so enthusiastic in coming forward to ask them to spare the ffielings of a certain section of the community had been very lukewarm in the matter of the opinions of those who opposed the opening of the Museum on Sundays. Good Friday to a large portion of the community was nothing more than an ordinary day and he therefore should support the resolution. Mr Inglis said that he would withdraw hia motion if the meeting would grant his leave. He desired to deny tbat there was any attempt to divide the community into two sections, or that he had been actuated by any polemical spirit in bringing thiß resolution forward. The fact was tbafc a number of persons could not get to the Museum except on these days, and he thought they should allow them these opportunities. However as it appeared to be the wish of the meeting he would ask leave to withdraw it. The motion was then withdrawn.

catalogue op the museum. Mr Knight moved—" Tbat it be an instruction to the Museum committee to cause a catalogue to be prepared of the contents of the Museum, and published with the English names of the specimens." Mr Kennaway seconded the resolution. The Chairman read the following memorandum from Dr Haast, the Director of the Muaeum, on the subject. " June 22nd, 1874. Memo concerning catalogue or guide to the contents of tbe Canterbury Museum. As soon as tbe Maori house is erected, so that it can be used for the New Zealand ethnological collections, and by which a little room for other specimens will be obtained in the present buildings, it is my intention to issue at once a guide to the contents of the Canterbury" Museum, for which most of the material is ready. Such a pamphlet, with ground plans attached, ought to be sold at about sixpence, or at the moat one shilling, and should be less a catalogue (for which the time has not yet come until there is sufficient accommodation for the final arrangements of the specimens in a larger building) than a companion to visitors who, by its aid, will obtain a general insight into the contents of each room in which the specimens are temporarily arranged. At the same time, the attention of the public will be directed to those more remarkable objects in each room, which ought not to be overlooked, even by a casual observer or visitor ; and, in this way, a great deal of useful information would be disseminated in a small compass, which would not otherwise be available. Similar guides have been issued by many museums in the Old and New Worlds, where proper catalogues have not yet been published, and have answered very well.—Julius Haast, Director." After some discußaion,-" . Mr Knight, withdrew his resolution, on the understanding that the Museum committee would take steps to carry out the idea embodied in the memorandum of the Director.

' EBECTION OF THE LABORATOBY, ETC The Chairman said the next business before the Board was the consideration of a recommendation from the site committee for the erection of a laboratory, &c, on the plans prepared by Mr Bickerton. It might, perhaps, be-as weft if be gave the Board a brief history of the circumstances which had occarred in reference to this matter. The site committee, it.- would •be recollected, had been instructedtocall for tenders for the erection of the College on. the plans aB accepted. Tbis'was dohe,but thelowest tender received was over £7000, wbjle.tbe amount voted for the building by the. Provincial Council was only, £5000. Upder these circumstances, the committee requested him (the chairman) to write to his Honor the Superintendent, bringing the circumstances of the case before him, and pointing out that the money voted was not sufficient, though they had endeavored to bring the plans within the cost as far as possible. The result of the application.was, that an amount of £8000 "was'agreed to .be put on the estimates ; subsequently Mr Bickerton, the professor of chemistry, arrived, and in his interviewa with the committee he had pointed out that it would be necessary in order to give instruction fully in technical science, that special buildings and laboratories should be erected, and he submitted sketch plans of the same for adoption. This would involve the expenditure of £3000, and application was again made to the Provincial Council for this sum for the erection of the buildings for the purpose of delivering lectures in technical Bcience. He was glad to say tbat this amount had been granted, and they now had the £8000 voted for the. completion of the building, and the £8000 specially voted for the erection, of the buildings according 1 to the plan of Mr Bickerton. The site committee and the general purposes committee -had ' been sitting together, and "bad bad conversations with Mr Bickerton, who had submitted his plans. The resolution arrived at by the site committee was as followa:—" That Mr Bickerton s plana be adopted, andthatlt be a recommendation to the Board of Governors to obtain plans and estimate of cost of the same.' The question of site bad been unsettled up to now, but be believed a Bill was now before the General Assembly empowering the Provincial Government to hand over the site in t the domain to the College. After some discussion, Bey W. J. Habens moved—" That it be an instruction to the site committee to confer with Mr Bickerton and the architect of the College, and to take BUch steps as maybe found necessary to ascertain the cost of providing such accommodation as may be required for the conduct of the chemistry department." . Mr Bowen seconded the motion. Mr Cowiishaw moved the following.words ac an addition to the resolution :—"Taking into consideration tbe desirability of having the College buildings on one Bite." Bey Mr Habens accepted the amendment, and the resolution was agreed to. Mr Potts moved as a further amendment —" That it be an instruction to the general purposes committee to ascertain if they can obtain and secure temporary occupation of a building for the une of the Professor of Chemistry." ■_.-■■ ~ ' Mr Inglia seconded this, which was agreed to. PLANS FOE PUBLIC LIBRARY. The Chairman said that the library committee had been instructed to offer a premium of £15 for the best design for the erection of the public library; and they were also instructed to request Messrs Mountfort, Armson, Farr, and Strouts to compete. A circular letter was sent to each of the architects named, and the time for reception of the planß fixed for 27th May. Subsequently, on receipt of a letter to that effect &om the Institute of Architects, the time was farther extended to the 2<th Jane. This latter date fell on a Saturday, but the reception of plans was further, extended to Monday at tbe request of Mr Armson, one of the competitors. On this day the committee mcV when only three plans were submitted, viz., from Messrs Mountfort, Strouts, and. Farr, Mr Armscm not having completed hia plan. The committee did not care for any of the plana submitted, and knowing that Mr Armson was preparing a plan, further adjourned the matter till the following Wednesday, when Mr Armson's plan was befpre them. They were agreed that, with some modifications, they should recommend the acceptance of Mr Armson's plan, and accordingly they now did so. . , After some discussion, in the course or which Dr Turnbull presented a complaint from the other architects respecting the extension of time, . . .■" _ His Honbr the Superintendent moved— the recommendation of the library committee be adopted, and that Mr Armson's plans be accepted." _, Mr Kennaway seconded the motion, which was carried. - The Board then adjourned.

Mr Sims Beeves, who has been unwell for Borne time, has left England for Germany by the advice-of his physician. He would not jetnrn to England until June.