THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 786, 30 November 1870, Page 2

THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

The annual dinner of the Philosophioal Institute took place at Morton's Hotel, last evening. There were about thirty present, including Dr Hitast (president of the Institute), his Honor Mr Justice Greason, bis Honor the Superintendent, the Her. C. Fraser, Drs. Tnrnbull, Coward, and Powell, Mtssrs C. C. Bowen, K.M., Cracroft Wilson, C.8., J. S. Williams, r.E,, Wright, Chief Postmaster, &o. Dr Haast, as President of the Institute, occupied the chair; and the Tice-chairs were filled by Ur toward and the Ker. Chas. Fraser. . Grace was said and thanks returned by the reverend vice-chairman. It is almost superluous to say (hat the catering of Mr Morton was highly excellent, and that it gave universal satisfaction. The capital manner in which he always caters for his patrons has obtained for him a wellearned celebrity in this city. '• ' On the cloth'beiog removed, the Chairman proposed the usual loyal toasts, which were duly honoured. His Honor Mr Justice Greason rose to propose the m-xt toast. He said: Mr Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, and gentlemen, 1 have been requested to propose a toast, and it is one which I had the honour of proposing '.on a recent occasion at a public dinner, arid oh that occasion I think I stated that I did not understand why the toast had been entrusted to me. Neither do I know now why I have been requested to propose the toast., However, I have not the slightest' objection to propose it, for it is one which is everywhere received in English society with the utmost enthusiasm. The toast that has been committed to m« is that of the Army, Navy, and Volunteers. lam quite sure that all feel the most perfect confidence that if, unfortunately, occasion should occur for the aid of these branches of the service, they will do their duty, as they have always hitherto done it. (Cheers.) I cannot say more, or express in stronger termß the feelings of confidence we have in them than using that language. I bi'jr, therefore, to propose the toast or the "Army, Navy, und Volunteers." When I say volunteers, I include not merely the ?olunteers of England but the volunteers' of

New Zealand us well. (Cheers.) I am sure that we may look on the service as one serTice, and that we may trust that after a time the volunteers, after they ha»ehad some little experience, will show themselves worthy of being associated with the toast. (Hear, hear ) I beg to couple with the toast the name of John Cracroft Wilson. C.B. The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. Mr Cra roft Wilson responded on behalf of the volunteers. He had responded so often to the toast that he was now tired of getting on his legs. (Ht- ar, hear.) All he could say was that the volunteers would endeavour ro go on improving. (Cheers.) His Honor the Superintendent rose to propose the toast of his Excellency ihe Governor He didn't know why he had been called on to propose the toast, but he supposed it was because he was a constitutional ruler in a small way. In proposing the toast, be proposed the health not only of one who was the highest authority in New Zealand, but of a gentleman who had stood high in the first university of the world, and who manifested a very strong interest in the progress of education and science in this country. (Hear and cheers ) The toast was drunk with all the honours. The Chairman, in proposing the health of bis Honor the Superintendent, said : Gentlemen, I beg to propose the toast of his Honor the Superintendent, as patron of the Philosophical lnstituteof Canterbury It is scarcely necessary for me to say much in his praise, because we all know how much he has at keart the advancement of the province, as well in a material as in an intellectual point of view. (Hear, hear.) We could not have a better patron than his Honor the Superintendent. (Cheers.) He has always manifested a great interest in the advancement of •classical and scientific education. lam sorry that I am unable to make anything but an imperfect speech on this occasion, I have just come back from amongst the rocks, and I am' not therefore in a position to make fins speeches. But if my friends could look into my heart, they would see that a very good speech is engraved there, but cannot come out. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) No one appreciates more than I do the feelings of his Honor, and the thoroughness with which be lias at heart to advance the real progress of Canterbury. (Cheers ) The toast was drunk with every demonstration of enthusiasm. His Honor, in returning thanks, said Mr Chairman, vice-chairmen, and gentlemen, I have to thank you very much for the warm way in which you hive received the toast of my health. Ido not propone to make a long speech, bearing in mind what I said when I rose before — that I stand here as a constitutional ruler, and without advisers on the present occasion — I feel I sba 1 have to be very careful as to the lengths I shall go in expressing my feelings on this occasion. (Laughter.) However, gentlem n, I feel that it is not in my constitutional position that I have to return thanks, but it is to a body of gentlemen who* feel that in drinking my health, they are drinking the health of one who has the same objects in view in regard, particularly, to the promotion of science in this province (Hear, hear.) Gentleme\ I think looking to the past, that we have great reason to congratulate ourselves in this province upon the progress that has been made in the advancement of science. (Hear, hear). >>ince we met here last year, the opening of the Museum has been an event of no small moment in the history of this province. In the opening of that building to the public, and in the arrangement by our President of the admire hie collections which he has obtained from different parts of the world hs well as fr >m New Zealand — in the opening of that Museum I say, we have had a combination of long years of quiet work here which we never before in this pro■vince had — I may say an embodiment such as we never before possessed. Itt ust that we are not going to stop there. (Hear, hear). I had hoped that we should have already had provision made for the future in the shape of a permanent endowment of lands for the purposes of the Museum. I trust that that may still be •effected— (hear, hear) — and I trust that during the current year some efforts may be made to begin, even in a modest way, to establish what I have had some time in view, namely, a laboratory and lectures in chemistry, and other subjects of practical interest and import to the province and to the country at large. (Hear, and cheers.) Gentlemen, I know that bar President has a great deal engraven in his heart, which I am sure he will now be able to bring out, and that he will speak on this subject much better than I can. Gentlemen, I will not, therefore, detain you with any further observations, but in conclusion have to thank you very kindly for the way in which you have drunk my health. (Cheers ) Dr Turnbull said the committee of the Institute had instructed him to propose the health of their President, and he thought he need only mention the name to secure a thorough welcome to the toast, but he thought that the task imposed upon him was one of a very peculiar nature, as his ( ' >r Turnbuli's) interest in the bodily health of the President was inimical to his own temporal welfare. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He (Dr Turnbull) should like very muck in noticing the improvement that had been made in the progress of the Philosophical Institute »• of Canterbury , to notice a very great improve- " ment which might be effected in their pro eedings—namely that prior to sending his papers to -.Europe, where he had obtained a high repui tatiori, the president should bring them down to the Institute, and have them either altered, negatived, or adopted by an ent<re majority (Hear and laughter.) It whs scarcely ne essary for him (Dr Turnbull) to mention to the Institute the appropriateness of Dr Haast for the position of president. ( beers.") H< thought that in Dr Haast they had one whose business and pleasure it was to attend to the minutest detail in connection with the Insti I tute which bad good reason to congratulate it- 1

! self upon having him as president. (Hear and ' icheers.) Although the president might rebel 'against the suggestion that be (Dr Turnbull) had thrown out, still he would ask him •whether he could not carry it out at some ifuture time. (Hear and laughter.) : The toast was druok with all the honours. Dr Haast was loudly applauded on rising to return thanks. He said : Your Honor and Gentlemen, I have to thank my frien 1 for the kind way in which he has proposed the toast of the office but, not the toast of the man, because be has suggested some proposals which might endanger my health if I were to follow them. I think the less con stitutional government we have in tlumanagement of the Philosophical Institute the better. (Laughter.) If we go oniu a quie". way, as hitherto, we shall do much better, i may look back with some pride to the history of the Philosophical Institute in this province. Nearly eight years ago, when twelve gentlemen met together to establish the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, it was virtually the first scientific souiety in New Zealand then, because the New Zt aland Society had met only once or twice in five or ten'years. We iofused some life into New Zealand, and can look back with some pride upon our career. Unfortunately— and this I must say with some pain —we do not show so much work as other societies do, such as those of Wellington and Auckland, where more papers are read than with us. The misfortune is, that most of our members have so many other things to do, that they do not find time to write papers, but I trust that during next session they will find time to write papers which were expected last session, and which our members are so well qualiled to write. (Hear, hear.) At the present time, when war is raging in Europe, it is doubly our duty to advance classical and scientific studies in New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) I make this renvirk because one of my friends in Girrnany, and one of th most accomplished scientific men there, says that he, like many others, looked toward? the Far West — (America) — and the antipodes as the future home of scientific studies — (Hear, hear)— that the time would come when war would so disturb scientific studies in Europe that the seat of these studies would be removtd to America and this portion of the globe. Therefore we ought to do our best to advance these studies here. (Cheers.) We see the beginning of a war in Europe, and don't know where it will end. It is just possible that scientific studies will be swept out, a* was the case with t^gypt, Greece, and other places which were once the resting place of science. Perhaps lam going out *hf my way in saying so. (No, no.") I must confess I was very much gratified to find that one step has been taken to give a position to the Museum by the Bill passed during last session of the Provincial Council. (Hear, liear.) It is, I hope, the step for a larger establishment. lam certain that next session will bring us twice the amoun< of land, because the Provincial Council, which has been so enlightened and inclined to advance science in the province, will also make it useful for educational purposes. In work ing to get this Museum to its present state, I never did so to make it a mere show — a " curiosity shop " — but to make it the foundation of a school of technical science or part of a university. (Hear, hear.) It is impossible to teach unless proper arrangements and provisions are made. Ihe great advancement that has taken place in Germany of late years is accounted for in this way — because technical science has not been neglected. That is the real Becret of the German armies having achieved such successes — education, nothing else. If the whole world came against them, they would gain the day. (Hear, hear, and laughter). Education in Germany is general: to the lower classes a good, sound education is imparted, while at the same time a higher education is preset ved to the higher classes, so that in this way every man can receive an education according to his position. A country that adopts this system will certainly advance, and be the first on the earth. (Hear hear). New Zealand, by its position, its climate, and the character of its inhabitants, is destined one day to be one of the greatest countries in the world, as it is now in the southern hemisphere. (Cheers). We ought not to neglect it, but do our best for its advancement. I hope that Proviience will give me health ong life, and strength to fight the battle of, education against everybody. (Hear, hear, and cheers). . The following additional toasts were proposed and duly honoured: — "The VicePresidents and Council," coupled with the names of the Rev. Charles Fraser and the Hon. John Hall, proposed by Mr J. S. Williams, and respoaded to by the Rev. C. Fraser;" "The New Zealand Institute," proposed by the Rev. C. Fraser, and responded to by the Chairman; "His Honor Mr Justice Gresson," proposed by Mr C. C. ' Bowen, R.M., who spoke of his Honor as one always ready to support and assist everything in the shape of education and scientific reiearch in this province. His Honor, in responding, was loudly cheered. Mr W. B. Bray, C.8., proposed " The Visitors and Guests," which was responded to by Mr Maskell, M.P.C. Dr Turnbull proposed " The Mercantile Interests," coupled with the name of Mr Curtis. Mr Curtis returned thanks. Mr Zincgraf presided at the piano, and the proceedings were also enlivened by a few songs. The company broke up at a few minutes before 1 1 p.m.