five thousand dollars, or the promise of it, from the Colonial Government would enable the Committee immediately to commence the preparations of the fittings for the most urgently required parts of the building, and thus have them ready by January or February next, when the building will be otherwise ready for opening.
The other point raised in His Excellency's memo., of the early necessity for the appointment of a Librarian and Curator of the Museum, the Committee fully coincide in, and feel that it will be quite necessary to obtain the services of some such person within the next two or three months, provided only that they can see their way to defraying the requisite salary, which, in order to secure a competent individual, could hardly be less than $1,200 to $1,500 per annum.
Having fully demonstrated that the City Hall is intended as a public Institution, and it being generally recognised, as His Excellency is also willing to do, that such Institutions have claims on the public monies, the Committee trust that a grant in aid of the fittings, and a small annual contribution towards the working expenses, may be placed on the Estimates for 1869, now in course of being laid before the Legislature.
DRAFT.
No.91.
Ser.
77659 Houghong
Sir J. P. Hennessy
Mr.
MINUTE.
Mr. Siden 18 Dec
Indesced
22. Dec. 80
64
The Honourable J. G. AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
I have, &c.,
1.
W. H. RENNIE,
On behalf of the City Hall Committee.
Mr. Wingfield.
Mr. Bramston.
my consideration
X
Mr. Meade.
ZO
MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
MR. AUSTIN, This memorandum omits to answer my principal inquiry, which I shall now put in plain words. Are the Museum and Library to be managed on liberal terms, and, if so, on what? Is any subscription to be necessary to entitle any member of the Community who behaves himself quietly and is decently dressed, to visit the Museum and Library and even to read in the latter place, as is the case in Melbourne, where one of the noblest institutions in the world is free to all the world?
If perfect freedom of access is not to be allowed, as is probable, what are to be the restrictions?
R. G. MACDONNELL.
3rd October, 1868.
REPLY OF THE CITY HALL COMMITTEE.
The whole of the arrangements upon which the City Hall is to be managed have not been definitely fixed, but there never has, I believe, been any thought of having the admission to the Museum and Library otherwise than perfectly gratuitous, and open, as His Excellency states, to all well-dressed and well-behaved persons.
W. H. RENNIE,
On behalf of the City Hall Committee.
3rd October, 1868.
MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
MR. AUSTIN, As this expenditure is regularly provided for in the Estimates of the current year, I see no objection to payment of the money to the Trustees, as requested by Mr. RENNIE.
R. G. MACDONNELL.
11th May, 1869
Mr. Herbert.
Mr. Grant Duff.
Lord Kimberley.
21
20117. 3 Any 1880
"
144.185ef
"
157. 60ct
"
"
158.6oct
173-3000f
#
1
Your despatches noted in the margin and their enclosures on the subject of the City Hall Library and Museums Минина
2. Three points appear to be raised: viz (1) to whom this Allowance of $1200 per annum from public funds for Dec.