MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1076, 26 April 1867, Page 4

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

A special general meeting of the members of the Mechanics' Institute was held in the hall of the Institute, at 8 o'clock last evening; Dr. Kidd, LL.B., in the chair. The meeting had been convened by the Secretary, in accordance with a suggestion made by the committee of the Institute that the subscription to the Library and .Reading Boom should be distinguished as two separate funds, instead of one,-as hitherto —the subscription to each being 2s. Gd. per quarter. The Secretary, Mr. Sargent, having read from the New Zealand Herald the advertisement convening the meeting, The Chairman proceeded to read the suggestions offered by the committee in reference to the proposed alteration. Mr. G-eouge, in moving the adoption of the recommendation that the subscriptions should be distinct, said ho regretted that there was a good deal of remissness manifested by the officers of the Institute. It was true that there were counter attractions in the political meeting held elsewhere, but he (Mr. George) was aware that several of the absent officers had little or no interest in political matteis, and might have attended the present meeting. It was very painful to any one who felt any interest in the welfare of the Institute, to see it gradually going down. Mr. Twelvetrees seconded the motion. Mr. Sf.ffern remarked that the change was calculated to increase the number of subscribers to the library. Ho thought the subscriptions should be divided ; the fund for the reading room and library, however, remaining one. The Chairman said it was not competent for the meeting to make any alterations. By the 13th law of the institute no alteration could be made unless a fortnight's notice had been previously given. The present meeting coald only reject or adopt the suggestions put forward by the committee. In reply to a question, the Secretary said the number of members of the Institute now amounted to tsvo hundred and fifty, including juveniles. Mr. Seffeun was about to move as an amendment, that the proposed alteration should be added to rule 6, which provided that the subscription. to the Library and Beading-room should be £1 per annum, when the Chairman informed him that the amendment could not be put, inasmuch as the Committee in their last annual report had stated that the proposed change would neither repeal nor alter any existing rule of the Institute. The motion for the adoption of the Committee's suggestion, that the subscriptions to the

Library and Eeading-rooni should be two distinct funds, was then put and carried. The Chaikm-an then announced that there was no further business, and the meeting separated,