CHRISTCHURCH MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1120, 5 August 1863, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS.

The following Report of Committee was brought up and read:— You commit tee, in laying this their fourth annual report before the members of the institute, hay* groat pleasure in being able to show a steady increase in the number of subscribing members, and generally on the progress of the Institute. It will be recollected that the committee at the last annual meeting reported the purchase of a site for a Mechanics' Institute, situated in Hereford street and Cambridge terrace west, and that three gentlemen, members of this committee, had become security for the payment of the purchase money. It is with great pleasure your committee hare to acquaint you that those gentlemen who so so kindly guaranteed the purchase money were not called upon to make any cash advance, but that the bills given were met at maturity—the Government having, as promised, paid to the treasurer the sum of £250 as compensation for the site originally rcsorved but afterwards appropriated to the use of the Government. The Provincial Council granted the liberal sum of £250 towards the building fund. Your committee considered it expedient to at once commence the building, and offered a premium for a design, and a plan sent in by Mr. Fan' of Lichfield street, was approved of, and your committee advertised for tenders for carrying out the design, and Messrs. Balcke and Broward's tender, for the sum of £1169, was accepted. The building is now rapidly advancing towards completion, and your committee trust it will be ready for occupation by the Ist of September next. To carry out the proposed building it was resolved in committee that a share list be opened, the result of which will be more fully shewn in the treasurer's report. The increased value of land in that portion of the city in which the Mechanics' institute is situate, may fairly be considered to have raised the value of the site to about £1000, and in conjunction with the new building and improvements competent judges have valued the whole property at £2500.

Your committee have great hopes that when once in occupation of the new Mechanics' Institute, the public will, with its usual liberality, support so worthy an object; and then being in a position to resume the lectures and hold classes in the different branches of education, a greater progress in comparison will be noticed than hitherto.

In the library, your commiteo have to report the addition of 175 volumes by purchase, exclusive of 540 volumes received from England, and 42 volumes by donations, as follows:—

Donations —By Mr. Sfcansell, 4 vols, and 16 pamplets; by ltev. C. Fraser, 1 vol,; by Mr. Parkins, 3 vols.; by Mr. McKaj', 7 vols; by li. Wilkin, Esq., 11 vols.; by Mr. Hughes, 4 vols.; by Kev. C. Alabaster, 5 vols.; a Friend, by Kev. C. Alabaster, 7 vols.; by J. Hall, Esq., file of ' Lyttelton Times,' 1852 to 1861; by T. Cass, Esq., file of 'Spectator'; by Colonial Government, Statutes, Statistics, and Gazettes for the year; by Mr. May, map of Mandeville, Christchurch, and Lincoln Districts; Colton's Atlas of the World, presented by a few friends of the Institute. Purchases—Purchased in the province, 175 vols.; purchased from London, 431 vols., uniformly halfbound in calf; and 115 Wheal's Treatises, in cloth. Making a total number of volumes added to the library this year of 763, in addition to the usual monthly periodicals.

Your -committee have received in good condition the books sent from London, but have been unable to circulate them for want of room in the library. The books arc strongly bound, and are in every way suitable for the library of this Institute, and will be readv for circulation as soon as possible after the occupation of tiie new building. Your committee with much gratification have to announce the fact that the circulation of volumes has nearly doubled that of last year, being 2654 vols, for 234 members, and i6r this year upwards of 4000 vols, for 280 members.

Your committee still have reason to believe that the reading-room being open in the daytime is a great benefit and convenience to the members, and would advise its continuance, feeling certain that were the room closed in the day it would occasion the loss of many members who could not attend in the evening. Your committee, in closing this their report, have to t.Vianlr those gentlemen who have so kindly presented donations to the library of this Institute, and trust that every individual member will endeavour to forward to the utmost of his ability the progress of so good and generally beneficial an object as this undertaking. Abstract of the Treasurer's account with the Christchurch Mechanics' Institute. GENERAL ACCOUNT. FBOJf JULY 1, 1862, TO JUX3 30,1863. Dr. £ 8. d. To balance due to Treasurer 4 12 4 " Periodicals 52 12 2 " Newspapers 33 1 0 " Advertising and printing 26 6 9 " Stationeiy 2 2 6 " Candles, oil, and lamp glasses 32 18 1 " Firewood 3 5 0 " Sundries 2 10 0 "Bent of rooms ••• 20 0 0 " Clerk's salary 10® 0 0 280 7 10 Cr. By received from subscribers ... ... 188 5 0 " " Library fines 8 0 0 « " Mr. Brooke, money returned from Melbourne papers 2 14 3 198 19 3 Balance due to Treasurer 81 8 7 LIBRARY FUND. Dr. To paid Ollivier, at Cookson's auction ... 27 3 6 " " Remittance to London for books ... 19 17 9 47 1 3 By balance in hand ... ... ... 38 0 3 " Donation from Mr. Travers ... ... 70 0 45 0 3 Balance due to Treasurer 2 10 BUILDING FUND. . Dr. 1862—Nov. 11, to paid purchase of land and interest _• . 286 810 1863—Feb. 27, to paid levelling the site ... 2o 0 0 April 2, " Contractors for the building 233 16 0 May 4, ditto ditto 233 16 0 May 29, ditto ditto 233 16 0 July 10 and 17, ditto ditto 233 16 0 July 15, ditto additional levelling ... 900 1,235 12 10 Cr By received from shares 1t049 ™ 5 R * « « 51 to 105 275 0 0 « 107 to 110 20 0 0 « « 113 to 114 10 0 0 « « 117 to 127 65 0 0 « . " 130 to 136 30 0 0 *' * part payment on No. 50 210 0 „ r « r « «« ice 210 0 a a « « 128-9 6 0 0 " on account of 2nd issue of shares 108 0 0 « donations ® ' J " scrip sold Inn Balance in hana July 1, ® ® J* Provincial Government Grant 600 u u 1,268 13 0 Balancc in hand — 33 0 2

The above report was adopted. Resolved—That a vote of thanks be given to the Treasurer, Grosvenor Miles, Esq., for his kind offices in connection with the Institute. The following officers and committee men were elected for the ensuing year:—S. Bealey, Esq., President; Grosvenor Miles, Eaq., Treasurer; H. H. Prins, Esq., Librarian; Mr. Joshua Cuff, Secretary. Committeee —Messrs. C. W. Bishop, £. B. Bishop, J. Bowman, G. J. Chisnall, B. Clephiuae, J. Cumberworth, J. Daymond, ILDenham, G. Pleteher, J. Foley, Jas. Johnston, Ym. Archd. Mathtar, J. Ollivier, J.W.Shackleton,E.Ford,J.G.Hawkes,- T.J_. Joynt, W. Neeve, W. H. W. D. Wood, and C. F. Worth, vi

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