AUCKLAND MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1650, 8 February 1862, Page 4

AUCKLAND MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. In conformity with the laws of the Institute, the annual meeting of the members of the above Institute took place on Tuesday evening, February 4th, W. Gisborne, Esq., President, in the chair. The minutes of the previous general meeting having been read and confirmed, the following report was read by the Secretary: — REPORT. In presenting to the members the annual report, your committee regret that the hope of a renewal of vigour indulged in by your last year’s out-going committee has not been realised, and that the pecuniary affairs of the Institute are in a very unsatisfactory state. This they attribute in part to the gross mismanagement of the late Secretary, and also to the entire want of any extraneous aid; and to this they would call your most serious attention, believing, as they do, that it is the duty of the Government to foster such institutions. Members. The number of members on the roll is 311, of which number 226 pay 205., and 85 10s. annually—showing an increase of 26 on last annual report. Financial Statement. Amount received during the year, £262 18s. lOd. Expenditure, £256 14s. sd. Balance on hand, £6 4s. sd. There has been a falling off this year of something like £l4O. To the causes of a portion of this deficiency allusion will be made elsewhere. Liabilities. The present liabilities of the Institute amount to about £l7O 11s. 7d. Lectures. The following lectures have been delivered:—One on the Taranaki War, by Mr. Firth; one on Maori Manners and Customs, by Mr. J. White; two on the Mutiny in India, by Mr. C. Wilson. The paucity of lectures this year arises from the unwillingness of gentlemen to lecture to empty benches. Library. During the year the funds would only admit of the purchase of 20 volumes. 80 volumes of books have been presented by Colonel Gore Browne, CB, the late Governor of the Colony ; 10 volumes by Messrs. Ridgway; 2 by Mr, Grcenshielcl; 2 by Messrs, Hayles and Paul. To these gentlemen your thanks have been returned. The number of books in the Library arc 1575, and the Reading Room is supplied as usual with the periodicals and papers, and is very well attended. During the year the office of Secretary became vacant; your Committee invited, by advertisements, candidates, and out of the number they selected Mr. Benjamin Hayles, whose appointment they now ask you to confirm. Taught by past experience, your Committee have agreed to require the Secretary to find two sureties in sums of £SO each, and as soon as the new Committee shall be elected, the Secretary will be prepared with the needful bonds and sureties. During the past year a catalogue has been printed, at the urgent solicitation of many of the members, and has been found of great value. A Soiree took place on the Queen’s Bjrth-day, and was even more successful than the previous one, and produced the sum of £29 10s. In concluding the annual report, your Committee are certainly of opinion that, to prevent the Institution retrogading, a strong influence must be brought to bear on the Provincial authorities; that an annual grant towards supporting the Institute may be obtained, as it cannot be expected, when we take into consideration the fluctuating number of members, that this Institute, any more than similar Institutes in the neighbouring colonies, can maintain itself. They therefore trust that the Committee of Management who may be elected this evening will not lose sight of this important consideration, involving, as it does, the very existence of the Institute.

It was moved by Mr. G. P. Pierce and seconded by Mr. Utting, that the report as read be adopted, previously to the same being submitted to the meeting. Some desultory discussion took place as to the election of the previous Secretary and the defalcations in his accounts, when a better system of checking the accounts was suggested to the incoming committee. The report was then adopted.

I; was moved by Mr. Utting, and seconded by Mr. Swainson and carried, that a special general meeting of the members be convened this day six weeks, to revise such laws as may be found to need it, with a view of their being printed and placed in the hands of

every member. The members then proceeded to election of the officers for the ensuing year, with the following result; Patron, His Excellency Governor Sir G. Grey; President, ffm. Rattray; Vice-Presidents, P. A. Phillips and Jas. George; Treasurer, J. C. McDowell; Members of Committee, Messrs J. C. Pirtb, Jas. Smart, J. Yarty, H. Reid, G, S. Graham, H. Ridings, R. Taylor, J. Cochrane, \V. C. Daldy, S. J. Edmonds, G. P. Pierce, A. A. Melvin, J. Rattray, H. Potter, F. L. Jones; Auditors, R. Ridings, E. J. Cox and J. Clark; Secretary, Benjamin Hayles. Previously to the dispersion of the meeting Mr. P. A. Phillips proposed that the thanks of the members of the Institute be tendered to ffm. Gisborne, ■late president of the Institute, and in doing so, would only briefly allude to the warm interest Mr. Gisborne bad manifested in the advancement of the Institute, and the active' interest he had always manifested in presiding at meetings and forwarding statistics and other papers of great use to the members. Mr. G. S. Graham could only bear testimony to the statements of the proposer, and had great pleasure in seconding the proposal: carried unanimously. Mr. Gisborne briefly responded, and said that it was at all times a source of great pleasure to be enabled to do anything tending to assist or advance the interests of anv Institute in Auckland, more particularly the present one, and he should always continue to do the same. He sincerely trusted the Institute would be enabled to continue to hold its standing in Auckland; and, in retiring from office, ho begged to thank the members generally for the kind manner in which they had mentioned his humble services. The Meeting then adjourned.