MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 899, 8 February 1856, Page 3

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Tho annual meeting of the members of this Institute was held on Monday evening. The President— Dr. Bennett, occupied the chair, and, after a few introductory remarks, called upon Mr J. C. Firth to read the annual report, which was as follows :—: — Gentlemen, — The committee appointed in February* 1855, for the management of the Auckland Mechanics' Institute, iv accordance with the annual custom, pro - ceed to lay before you a report of their trunsactions dvi ing tlie past year. The subjects requiring more particular notice, are : — Ist. — The number of members. * 2nd.— The Financial position. 3rd. — Classes. 4th. — Lectures. oth. — Library.

Number, or Members. At the date of last report, the Institute had 101 members on the roll ; for the respective quarters of the year about to close, the numbers are— lol, 111, 129, and 142, showing a steady increase on each successive quarter ; and a total increase in the year of 41 new subscribers.

Financial Posit iox. As the Treasurer's report will be laid before you in detail, we merely give here a short summary :•—

It is to be added that part of the sums very recently set apart for the purchase of books, is still in the hands of the Sub-Qommittee appointed to make the purchase, who are engaged at present in fulfilling that duty, and who, without delay, will report, and account to the new Committee. The building requiring extensive repairs a Sub-Com-mittee was appointed to see them, and under their superintendence the necessary repairs have been made at a cost of £25 ss. 6d.

Classes. Feeling the importance of clas«es to the usefulness of a Mechanics' Institute, your Committee have made strenuous efforts to establish them. A- rangements were entered into for forming classes under the superintendence ot pidctictil teacher, as follows :: — •

History— Conducted by the Rev T. Hamer. Aiithmetic & English Grammer— By Mr. W. Singer. Geography-By Mr. J. E Bates. These gentlemen all liberally consented to render their services gratuitously. •» Under the sanction of your Committee, Mr. J. Brown, a professor of Music, opened a singing class on terms highly fa\ oiu able to the membns ot the Institute. Yoiu Committee aie sony to have to report that every clmss has been a total failure. The gentlemen named, attended on several successive evenings, but in no instance did the attendance of pupils give encouragement to proceed, and the classes neie discontinued accordingly. The branches selected for instruction were useful ; terms, little more than nominal ; teachers, of undoubted ability, and yet no actual result followed-ex- ' eept, indeed, the issu<" might be taken to show, that here, as in some othei localities, the means of intellectual impiovement aie in advance of the disposition to make use of them.

Lectures. Your committee have paid special attention to this part ot their duties. Applications to deliver Loctiues in the Institute weie foiwaided to fourteen gentlemen. Affiimative replies weie received fiom nine. Five of these have dalivered Lectures as follows :— Rev. A Reid— Subject, "Woman's influence on the world's wedi." Rev. T. Hamer— "On Russia," with Map Illustrations. Mr. Cheeseman— 'The Footprints of Commerce." Dr. Stratford —"On Ocean Navigation," with especial reference to the aerial currents, illustrated by Diagrams. Mr. J". C. Fhth— "Un Liu-k." Two papers were also read, one on Popular Delusions, by Mr. J. C. Firth, and one on "The pleasures of Science" by Mr. C. Sanderson. The attendance on some of three lectures was moderate, on others only indifferent, but on none was it such as the subjects selected ought to have secured, or the talented manner in which they weie treated by the lecturers, deserved. The services of the remaining four gentlemen may be considered as secured for the forthcoming series, and your Committee would have sincere pleasure in seeing their efforts better appreciated than those of their predecessors.

LIBKARY. Aware, that in Institutes of this natuie, the Lil r >ry is often a principal ieature both for amusement and instruction, your Committee have pleasure in being able to report its satisfactory condition. The whole of the works have been carefully re-ar-ranged, a classified catalogue prepared, and a large number of books added. At the close of last year the Library contained 696 vols. Additions made this year 11l do. Total present number 807 vols. To which several valuable additions are now in the couise of being made. The total number of volumes circulated during the past year has been 1250 ; last year 800 to 900, showing an increase of, say 400 volumes, or neaily -50 per cent. The weekly issues have averaged 24 ; last year 15 to 16 showing an increase in the weekly circulation of 8 volumes. Desirous of ascertaining the character of the reading curren: amongst the members of the Institute, your Committee on investigation find the following figures to be a p r etty accurate approximation. Total issues in the year 1855, distributed as tollows : — Science and Art .... 84 volumes. Poetry 72 " History CO " Travels f>o " . Biography l><> " General Literature . . . 240 " Fiction 63fi " Yoar Committee cannot allow tins opportunity to pass, without expressing their obligations to the llev, Mr. llamer for his munificent piesfnta^ion to the Library, in connection with thib Institute, of 54 volumes; to Mr. Tyler i'or a presentation of lo volumes ; to Mr. i Spaldmg for the presentation of one volume. Mr. Bell } has kindly presented a imnthlv copy of the "llomocoj pathic Echo" as published. Your committee hive also I to acknowledge the lcceipt of a copy of the Annual j Report of the Royal Society of Van Dieman's Land and they do so with the more pleasure, as a manifestation of tLat good feeling which ought e\ er to exist between Societies, to some extent, of a kindied nature. Such is a re\ iew of the operations of the Auckland Mechanics' Institute dining the past yeai. Although all the efforts of your Committee have not met with the success they had hoped, still, they may be peimitted to congratulate you on the favourable position of the Institute as a w hoi c. No\ertheles<s, your Committee are fully aware that the Mechanics' Institute does noi uixu|>> m.n posuiim in this city which its popular constitution, unsectaiian character, and useful amis might be expected to secure for it ; they desire to see it have a greater hold upon young men, and wish it to be regarded by all, as a place wheio rational amusement, pleasant recreation, and piactical instiuction may be obtained. Whether— by the establishment of a leading room, monthly amateur "onoerts, alteiation of name or change of site— this Institute may bo made a more fiuouiue place ot lesoit, and by that means exeit a steady counteracting force against those pernicious influences to which — in a young Colony — Society is peculiarly exposed— whether or not this may be the lesult of extended effort, it is not for the retiring Committee to determine ; they leave to their successors the good woik ot making the Auckland Mechanics' Institute what it ought to be -an Institution where men of every cla«s, party and creed, may meet on common giound to then mutual benefit. J. Teuky, Secretary. Mr Terry read the financial statement shewing a balance in hand of £46 10s. 9d. — Adopted. The following officers were proposed, seconded, and duly elected : — President —Dr. Bennett. Vice- P) aide/its.— Messrs. J. C. Firth and Charles Sanderson. Tieasurer— Mr. J. C. McDowell. Secretary— Mr. James Teiry. A ballot then took place for the Committee of Management, when the following gentlemen were elected :—: — Messrs. M. Someiville, Aldiich, Taylor, Clements, Augustus, McLeod, A. McDonald, t Singer,*Denom, Warner, Wayte, Edmonds, Cair, Bates, and Rev. T. Hamer. Auditors — Messrs. W Bacon, Cadman, and Warner. A vote of thanks, was passed to the chairman, and the meeting separated.

£ s. i). The year opened with a balance in hand of 22 1 1 1 Amount ot receipts dvi ing the year .... 115 7 0 Total £137 18 1 Expenditure for the same period 91 7 4 Showing a balance in Treasurer's hands of £46 10 9