AUCKLAND MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 820, 22 February 1854, Page 3

AUCKLAND MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

Annual General Meeting.

On Wednesday evening, the Ist iust., the Annua) General Meeting of the Members of this Institution was held in the Hall, according to advertisement, in due course.

Dr. Bennett, one of the Vice-Presidents, in the Chair.

After a few introductory remarks from the Chairman, Mr. Hansard, acting as Honorary Secretary to the Institution, read the Report for the past year. To the Members of the Auckland Mechanics’ Institute. Gentlemen, —The Committee appointed by you fo r the management of the affairs of this Institution during the year now past, have the honour to present; their Report. Your Committee cannot but share in the regret expressed by their predecessors at the last Annual General Meeting, that your Institution has not amongst its members a greater number of that class for which Institutions of its character are more especially intended.” They have, however, a s : ncere hope that the mechanics and working classes of Auckland generally now in a time of great prosperity, will best : r themselves to give a fresh impetus to an Institution calculated to effeci many good results; and that ere long its roll will include the names of a considerable majority of the classes alluded to.

The number of the members of the Institution for the first quarter of the last year was 97 for the second 94 Tor the third 91 For the fourth 91 •Showing an average number of somewhat less than the former year.

Your Committee have been able to obtain only two lectures to be delivered in the Hall during the year—one by Mr. Charles Sanderson, on “ The Electric Telegraph,’' illustrated by various models; the other, by the Rev. Thos. Williams, on “ The Feejees and the feejeeans.” Your Committee do not doubt that you will heartily concur with them in thanking the abovenamed gentlemen for kindly consenting to forward the interests of your Institution by their lectures. The receipts for the yast year have been jf6i ‘Os. hd, The expenditure, £47 Is. 3|d.; leaving a balance of £l4 9s. l Jd. in the hands of the Treasurer. The considerable diminution in the income of the Institution in the last, as compared with former years, is accounted for by the discontinuance of the renting of the hall by the Odd Fellows’ Society, the Independent Congregation, and the Sacred Harmonic Society—the two former of which becoming possessed of buildings ■of their own. *

Included in the above expenditures is the sum of £lO 10s. for a new set of seats for the Hall—renderrd necessary by the removal of ihe Odd Fellow's Society, whose forms had been previously in use. It will be observed that no part of the year’s income has h??n expended i;i hooka for the library, the fact

being that no peculiarly advantageous opportunities occurring for increasing the stock of books, o her reason# induced your Committee to defer any such expenditure for the present.

In the course of the latter part of the year, suggests,ons were made to your Committee to take steps to add a Reading Room to the advantages of your Institution. Although fully recognising the benefits which might result from such an adjunct, your Committee did not think that in the present situation of this building, such a step could with advantage and safety he ventured upon. The discussions, however, arising on this subject, led your Committee to take steps to ascertain if His Excellency the Governor would afford hope that a new s'te in a more public situation would be granted for the Institution. The answer r ceived from His Excellency, after some corresj ondeace, was highly favourable —it was as follows;

“Colonial Secretary’s Office, Auckland. “ 29th December, 1853. „ “ Siu,—l have the honour to inform you that it H ( reposed by His Excellency the Governor to grant the piece of land shown in the annexed plan as a site for a Mechanics' Institute and Heading Room, should His Honour the Superintendent of the Province, upon behalf of the Provincial Government, see no objection to such an appropriation of the land, it being understood that die present site of the Mechanics’ Institution is to be given up as an endowment for City purposes.

“ I have the honour to be, ‘‘Sir, “Your very obedient servant, “ Andrew Sinclair, “ Colonial Secretary. “To the Honorary Secretary Auckland Mechanics’ Institute.’'

Your Committee having had some communication with His Honour the Superintendent, the following letter was received this afternoon from the Colonial Secretary:— ** Colonial Secretary’s Office, “ Auckland, Ist February, 1854. “Sir, —Adverting to my letter of the 29th Dee. last, No. 407, respecting a piece of land to be grant d fiir a Mechanics’ Institution and Reading Room, I have the honour to inform you that H.s Honour the Superintendenthaving, on behalf of the Provincial Government, stated that there is no objection to the proposed ar* rangement, it will be necessary that the piece of land at present occupied by the Mechanic’s Institute should be re-couveyed to the Government, and on the receipt of the re-conveyance, immediate steps will be token to prepare a grant from the Crown for the land in Queenstreet, in favour of such Trustees as may be nominated for the purpose. “ I have the honour to be, &c., “ Andrew Sinclair, “ Colonial Secretary. “To She Honorary Secretary Auckland Mechanics’ Institute.”

So that, indeed, it is now in the hands of the members of the Institution to determine if they shall direct the necessary steps to be taken to relinquish the present site, to acquire in its stead one of the best in the City of Auckland.

Your Committee, in now returning into your hands the trust which ou have done them 'he honour to confide to them, would beg most earnestly to call upon you who are now members of the Institution to mute a vigorous effort to put it in a far more efficient state than it has yet been in. Your object is a great one—the promotion of useful and entertaining knowledge. The means, or at least some of them, are more or less in the hand of ear hj one of you—-by the use of your influence in inducing men of ability to deliver lectures ou various subjects in your Hall. The promoting the increase of your library by inducing your friends to join in membership, and thus increase he ways and means in the hands of your Committee. The procuring of donations of books —the preparation of papers for rending and discussion—the setting on foot and joining in classes for the attainment of a knowledge of languages and the arts and sciences. These are all—or some at least—within the reach of every member. And your Committee feel that they have only to remind you of the important and great influence for good which the promotion and full carrying out of these objects would have upon the who*e community to induce a renewed and strenuous exertion to forward the interests of your Institution. It was then mevedby Mr. C. Sanderson, and seconded by Mr. W. Swinbourne “ That the Report aud Balance Sheet now read, be re<e ved and adopted.” Carried nem. con. The following gentlemen were then elected to the Management of the Institution for the ensuing year : President—VVm. Swain son, Esq. Vice-Presidents—Dr. Bennett, and Mr. Archibald Clark. Treasurer—Mr. W. Hughes. Secretary— There being no nomination for this office, Mr. Shalders proposed, and Mr. Sanderson seconded, the following resolution, which was carried unanimously s—‘‘That the Committee be authorised to make such provision for the performance of the duties of Secretary during the ensuing year as they may deem fit.” Committee— Messrs, A. W. Hansard Messrs. Thos. Russell W. Bourne E. J. Matthews C. Sanderson D. Rough J. Wi'liamson W. Swinbourne R. B. Shalders Rev. Thomas Hamer L. O’Brien Mr. J. C. M‘Dowell W. C. Wilson. *• W. Connell, it was then proposed by Mr. A. Clark, seconded by Mr. Hansard—- “ That this meeting, fully concurring in the opinion expressed in the Report just adopted with regard to a Reading Boom, believe that the object of the Institution, as declared in Law No, 2, ‘ of promoting Useful and Entertaining Knowledge,’ would be materially advanced by the establishment of a Reading Hoorn in connexion therewith.’’ Carried unanimously. It was then moved by Mr. J. Williamson, seconded by Mr. W. Bourne—- ** That this meeting approve of the steps taken by the Committee of Management of the past year, in applying to the General Government for a more eligi le site for the building, and they do hereby authorise the Committee now appointed to do all that may be necessary to obtain the conveyance of the new site, and to surrender the present when required by the Government.” Carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Hansard for his assistance andendeavours to promote the interests of the Institution during the year. The thanks of the meeting were also given to the Committee generally for their services during the past year; and the same compliment having been paid to the Chairman of the evening, the meeting dissolved. Bab of New Zealand. — Mr. Singleton Rochfort was admitted and enrolled on Monday last as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of this Colony. The Band of H.M.’s 58th Regt. will perform on Thursday, the 23rd February, in the Government Lawn, between the hours of four and six, p.m., the pieces specified in the following programme. Overture—' The fair Maid of Perth” Wadell. Melange, Op.—*<i Due Koscari” . Verdi. Cavatina, Op —“Anna Bolena” , Donizetti. Aria, —(Stabat Mate.) “ Pro peccatis*' Koa ini. Waltz—" The PrincessjwOlga’’ „ * Jullien. Quadrille —“The Indfan”on-(East Indian Melodies) Jullien. Poik—" La Corfiote 1 ~ kconig. Polonaise