The Provincial Secretary said that immediately on the conclusion of the session of the Provincial Council a letter was sent by the Government to Mr Joshua Strange Williams, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the College, asking that Professor Bickerton’s services might be placed at the disposal of the Government. To that letter no reply had been received; but he might say that there was no building in which the operations of the local analyst might be conducted, and further than that, that Professor Bickerton would expect re muneration for his service. This was all that had been done. He would however, lay the letter on the table.
Mr Rayner was surprised to hear the Pro vincial Secretary come down with such a statement as he had made. When the matter was brought before the Council, the whole of the members supported it most warmly. Mr Montgomery pointed out that the delay had occurred from the fact, that the College authorities had not made any ar rangements as to the remuneration of the analyst. The Government, he might say, were fully alive to the importance of the subject, but until the College authorities moved, the Government were unable to do anything. Sir Cracroft Wilson was astonished to hear what had fallen from the Provincial Secretary. When they had been expending thousands of pounds in every direction, they were told that, with perfectly qualified gentlemen in their midst to carry out analy ses, there was no habitation for him. He trusted that the Government would see their way clear to carry out the erection of a building for this gentleman as soon as possi ble, so that he might have a local habitation and a name.
