OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6232, 1 February 1882, Page 2

OTAGO INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of the Otago Institute was held in the Museum Hall last evening. The President (Mr G. M.. Thomson, F.L.S.) occupied the chair, and there was a fair attendance of ladies and gentlemen. The Secretary (Professor T.- J. Parker) read the following annual report, which was adopted:— , During tho present session seven, general meetings have been held, including the present annual meeting. Nine original papers have been read-four on geological, three on botanical, and two on engineering and surveyingjubjects. . : At two meetings lectures were delivered—one Dy Dr W. Haacke, on the Development of Medusae ; the other by MrK. Jones, on Electric Lighting. _ Five new members have joined the Institute during the year, bringing the total number of names on the roll to 223. A deduction will, however, have to be made from this number, as several members have their subscriptions two years and upwards in arrears, and have therefore, Btrictly speaking, Bevered their connection with the Institute. The number of important books purchased during the year has been so considerable as to necessitate a rearrangement of the library,.which is now in progress. The Council desire to emphasise the fact, which seems to bo largely lost sight of, that the free use of the library is one of the privileges of membership. The receipts Of the year, including a balance of £12 8j from last year, amount to £202 0s Bd. The expenditure, amounting to £186 2s 6d, includes <68Us 6d for paying off the overdraft from the Union Bank of Australia. Tho usual payment to the Museum has, however, still to be made, a d will have to be added to the* year's expenditure. There is at present a clear balance in hand of £15 18s 3d, besides which the reserve fund in the Post-office Savings Bank now amounts to £159 10s Bd. ELECTION OP OFFICERS. . The Chairman said he had much pleasure in proposing Mr Arthur as president of the Institute for the ensuing year. He (Mr Arthur) was one of the most active members of the Institute. He had contributed several very interesting papers,, helped to keep the Institute alive at a'time when the interest in it was flagging. Mr Arthur was unanimously elected. Messrs Thomson and Joachim were unanimously elected vice-presidents; Professor Parker was re-elected secretary, Mr Petrie as treasurer, and ..Mr Brent as auditor for the ensuing year. ' Th; following gentlemen were nominated as a council for the ensuing year:—Bishop Nevill, Rev. Dr Roseby, Professors Brown and Scott, Drs Coughtrey and Hocken, Messrs W, N. Blair, Montgomery, Skey, R. Gillies, and F.. Chapman. ■ ' . ■ On a ballot being taken, the following were elected: —Messrs Blair and Montgomery, Professors Brown and Scott, Dr •Koseby, and Bishop Nevill. . , ' • The Chaixmaf. intimated that there was a tie between Messrs Gillies and Chapman, and, on a show of hands being tak<fn, tho former was declared elected by a,majority gf four votes. • .■■■'•■■ •-.. . NEW MEMBER. ~ Mr Petbie proposed Mr David Oosgrovc as a member of the Institute. ; , The retiring President- then delivered a very interesting and instructive address oh " The Origin of the New Zealand Flora." The remarks on this subject, by Mr Thomson were listened to by the audience witiv marked attention, and he. resumed his seat amidst applause, . . . Professor Parker then drew the attention of the audience to a number of skeletons specially adapted for lecture purposes, they being so mounted and put together as to allow of each bone being separately examined. The retiring President then vacated the chair, which was taken by the newly-elected President, Mr Arthur, who thanked the members fort is honour they had conferred upon him. He would rather they had elected someone else, but since their choice had fallen upon him, he would endeavour to further, the interests of the Institute to the best of his ability, and devote all the time he could spare to the duties of the office. ■