TARANAKI LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 1108, 22 July 1871, Page 2

TARANAKI LITERARY INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annnal meeting of the members of the Taranaki Literary Institute, took place on Wednesday evening last, in the reading room. H. it. Richmond, Esq., President, took the chair. Tho President briefly stated that he had not thought it necessary to draw up a report, as so little change bad taken place since the last meeting was held. He might, however, state that the number of members for the upper library had fallen from twenty-seven to twenty- j one ; there were, however, thirteen lady members ; for the lower library the number of members had fallen from eighty-six to twentyseven ; and the reading room from ninety-two to eighty-seven members. The total number of the members of the Institute was now 148 members. The eijjhiy-seven members of the reading room who paid 4<». per annum, did not defray tltu expenses incurred, the amount contributed being o.ily £17 Ss. ; adding however, four shilliiiirs for each of the twentyone full members, it brought th=jsum to £21 12s. The expense of lighting was £12 12s. 9d., and firing £3 7s. 9d., making £16 os. 6d. The Committee supplied the reading room with the Fortnightly and Mac-mil lan magazines, besides several English paners, which would make considerably over the £21 subscribed. He would now read the members a statement of the receipts and expenditure for the year ending 30th June, 1871.

RI.RCTIO.V OF OFFICEItS. The following gentlemen werw appointed officers for tho ensuing yoar : — Presileiit, 11. It. Richmond, Esq ; Treasurer, T. King, Esq. ; Hon. Secretary, C. D. Whitoombu, Esq. , Committee, the Veil. Arohdeao-m Gov-tt, Messrs. H. Wi-ston, H. E. Kenny, T. Kelly, F. Ronalds, C. Brown, B. C. Lawrence, and '11.I 1 . Co'son ; Auditors, Messrs. W. Webster and T. Colson. AfjTBHAT-rON IN THE RULES. Som<j slight alterations in the rules was then agreed to. Tnn numbm- of inem'i -in to form a quorum of the Committee was marie five, including tlip President, Treasurer, ami Secretary • also at general meeting twelve was to be cnniirletvil a quorum, in place of twenty-five as hitherto. The Committee was also instructed 10 draft a new set of rules, ami -iiibinit thiMn to the infinber* at thn m-xi .iiuuial meeting. ' TUB ANNUAL MRiCTING. Ie was decided that the annual meeting of member* sliouxl be held in the month of December instead of July. MISSING NEWSPAPERS. Mr. Northckopt called tttteui ion to the practise siill carried on oftakiim papers from the reading room, a copy of the Engineer, which arrived by the last mail, having been stolen from the Institute. This being; the whole of the business, the meeting adjourned. WELLINGTON EVENING POSTS OPINION OF THE TARANAKI PEOPLE. The Wellington Eveniny Post of Bth July, says — " Truly 'the fashion of this world pasneih tiway.' Only a very shore time lias elapsed since ui6~" whole Colony joined in hurling execrations at the head of Tito Kowaru, who was denounced as a fiend iv human form, placed beyond the pale of human society and human sympathy by his ruthless deeds, and to shoot whom, like a wild ilog, would be an act of the highest inen't. A rewind \ of £1,000 was placed upon his head by thu <'jovernment, and expensive exn^ilitions undertaken ] in the hope to capture him, were no" begrudged. Mr. Pan-is was held to have degraded himseif, us well as the Government, he lepresented, by appearing at a meeting where tde aruli-reliel was j present. But what is now the state of matters ? Tito Kowaru openly shows himself i:i the vicinity of European settlements ; less than n inonih ago he was in the immediate neighbo ii-liood of New Plymouth j his abiding place is well known, and yet no one offers to moles', him ! lie has waxed bold, and actually demand-; from t hu Gorermnent a condonation of his ofEjucs, and permission to return within the pale of tho lnw. In fact, h« , looks upon himself as a bankrupt, waiting to pass his examination and obtain his certificate. Bui worse still, his request is supported by the Provincial Council of T-.iranaki ; t hoy plead their exposed situation, their inadequate moms of defence, and tho example set by Mr. McLean in pardoning otner mnrderers, and ask the Government to give poor Tito another chant-e ; and such is the positio.i to which Mr. McLean's disgusting truckling to rebels has brought tho Colony, that it is far from unlikely that the request of the arch-cannibal, backed by In'b Taranaki sympathisers, will be refused. Peace must be kept at the expense .of any amount of degradation . Possibly the rebels, after they are pardoned, may demand compensation for the wrongs indicted on them, and no doubt the generous Me Loan will be ready to grant it. We may shortly expect to hear of Tito Kowarn being made a native assessor, or a major, or something else, and settled in the town of Ne»v Plymouth. The inhabitants of Taranaki have never beon famed for auy display of spirit, but their last proceeding ' out Herods Hernc!,' ami if their wishes are granted, they will have succeeded in affixir.g a siigma. to the name of New Zealand colonist, which nothing can ever wipe away." Our Wanganui Exchanges. — Wh regret to see by the Wanganui Chronicle, that our paper does not reach that journal. As we send copies regularly through the post, and duplicates by Cobb's coach, we had hoped onr contemporary would at least receive one copy or the other of our bi-weekly issue. Would the Editor of our contemporary again enquire at the post-office in Wanganui, and ascertain why our paper is not delivered to him ? We are certain it is sent from the post-office at this end. The Wanganui Herald we get very irregularly still — a few odd numbers now and then. Our latest Wanganui papers to hand are the Chronicle of 14th July, and Herald of 12th July. A Scientific Exhibition from Germany. — The Christchurch Press of the 6th July, says — " At the meeting of tho Philosophical Institute last evening, the president, Dr. Julius Haast, mentioned that he had recently received advices from Berlin that a scientific expedition would shortly leave Germany on a tour of exploration to the Southern Seas, aud that it was intended that the fleet should call at Lyttelton." Writekships. — Some months ago a Government Gazette aunou'iced that writers would be employed in some of the public offices, and that candidates for such posts must pass an examination in reading, writing, dictation, and the first three rules of arithmetic. There would appear to most people to be no difficult) from this as to what examination was intended ; but the Board have ingeniously succeeded in discovering one, and are doubtful whether " the three first rules" include compound multiplication, division, and subtraction. A dentist, trying in vain to extract a decayed tooth from a lady's mouth, gave up the task with this apology :—": — " The fact is, madam, it is impossible for anything h\& to come from your mouth." Caution to those who ArrEND Balls. — Never end the evening with a reel.

D.ish in hand Ist July, 18/0 Subscription;?, tinea, &cj.,July I, 18/0 to Juno I'd, 1871 Proceeds of readings and lectures ... £ a. d. 0 11 2 89 16 3 9 7 0 £99 14 5 EXPENDITURE. £ s. d. Pnrchase of books, magazines, and English newspapers... Salary of librarian liiirhtinj? Pin \vm>d, stationery and sundries ... I'Jxpenses of readings ... 3jsh\ in huud 34 15 5 L 5 0 0 12 12 9 3 7 9 3 0 6 30 18 0