CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2683, 13 March 1874, Page 2

CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

A meeting of the Board of Governors was held yesterday afternoon, at the Public Library, at half-past four. Present—Mr J. S. Williams (chairman), the Bight Rev the Primate, the Revs W. J. Habens, C. Fraser, and W. W. Willock, his Honor the Superintendent, and his Honor Judge Gresson, and Messrs C. (J. Bowen, George Gould, H. J. Tancred, J. lnglis, and Dr Turnbull. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman said that in pursuance of the resolution passed at the last meeting of the Board, a meeting of the purposes committee had been held immediately afterwards, when the Bey Mr Habens and Mr Bowen were appointed deputies to proceed to Dunedin to confer with the council of the Otago University. Those gentlemen consented to go, and as chairman he immediately sent a telegram to Dunedin, askiDg if a deputation would be received from the College. An immediate reply waa received in the affirmative, and Mr Bowen and Mr Habens proceeded there. He would read the result of their labors :— "Christchurch, 12th March. 1574. " Sir,—We, the deputies appointed by the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College to confer with the council of the University of Otago respecting the question of affiliation to the University of New Zealand, have the honor to report as follows :— " In pursuance of instructions from the Board of Governors, we went to Dnnedin in time to meet the council of the Otago University on Monday, the 9th instant, being the day suggested for a conference by

that body. We found that the council in anticipation of our coming had passed resolutions approving in general terms of the object of the conference ; and we beg to bear testimony to the marked desire of the Otago University Council to meet the overtures of the Canterbury College in the most friendly manner.

" Prior to the conference we had the advantage of consulting several members of the Council and the Superintendent of the province of Otago ; and found that it would be advisable that we should be prepared with proposals to lay before the Council suggesting common grounds on which we should apply for affiliation. "We forwarded by telegraph a copy of our proposed resolutions to the chairman of the Board of Governors ; the subjoined resolution ultimately passed at tho conference is the result of slight additions aud modifications made to meet the views of the Otago University Council. "At the opening of tho Conference, after reading the communication from the chairman of the Canterbuiy College, introducing the deputation, aud his statement of the resources, endowments, and prospects of the Canterbury College, the Chancellor of the Otago University laid on the table a letter from the Superintendent of Otago, in answer to a communication from the Council to the Provincial Government. His Honor, in that letter, though not approving of the proposal to affiliate to the New Zealand University, and throwing out a suggestion of common i independent action between Canterbury aud Otago, stated that should the Council and Professors agree to conditions of affiliation, he and the Executive would acquiesce." " After considerable discussion, the following resolution was unanimously adopted : — " Resolution adopted at a meeting of the University Council and the deputies from the Canterbury College on tho 9th March, 1874 ;— " That it is advisable that the Council of the Otago University, and the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College, should apply to the New Zealand University for affiliation, on the following conditions :— I "1. That the administration of the Otago University and Canterbury College, shall not be interfered with by the New Zealand University. "2. That the endowments of each shall remain their respective property. "3. That the standard established for degrees shall not be lower than that adopted by the University of Melbourne. " 4. That steps should be taken by the New Zealand University to secure the services of competent examiners, actually or recently engaged in the duties of education.

" That the examination preliminary to the B.A. degree, and final for that degree, should be so ordered as to time and subjects as to afford to students equal facilities for taking their degrees either in science or in classics ; care being taken that students in either branch shall receive some fair measure of instruction in the other, provided that Greek be not required of students on the scientific side.

"6. That the preceding conditions are without prejudice to any other conditions contained in the memorandum of the 26th September, 1873, again adopted by the Council of the University of Otago on the 6th March, 1874. " J. Richardson, " Chancellor University of Otago. " chas. c. bowen, " Wm. Jas. Habens." " Conditions of Memorandum above alluded to:— " University of Otago to be still called an university aDd to have a chancellor, otherwise affiliation to be thorough. " The Otago University to abandon its application for an Imperial Charter and its power to confer degrees to affiliated colleges, and to create a Senate in consideration of the following, viz.:— " That the University of Otago retains its title, its endowments, and its powers granted to it by its own Ordinance, excepting the powers described in the preceding clause. " That on affiliation to the New Zealand University it receive towards its support £500 of the £3000 granted by Act, without prejudice to its sharing in the revenues arising from land endowments, and without prejudice to its sharing in fellowships, scholarships, and other competitions open to affiliated institutions. " J.R." "On Tuesday, the 10th March a meeting lof the Professors of the University was held, and after they had considered the matter, we had the pleasure of an interview with those gentlemen. They were impressed with the advisability of joint action, with a view to affiliation, and agreed to the conditions contained in the resolution passed at the conference of the previous evening, but made some further valuable suggestions which they will probably embody in a letter. We are sure that their views will receive the most careful consideration of the New Zealand University Council when affiliation is effected. On the 11th March, the day after we left Dunedin, the Chancellor was to have had an interview on the subject with the Superintendent of Otago. We have since received a telegram from Major Bichardson to the effect that all parties are in accord. "We have to thank the Chancellor, ViceChancellor, Council, and Professors of the Otago University for the courtesy and candor with which they entertained the proposals, in some instances tending in their opinion to lower the status of the Otago University, and to interfere with the independent action which they have so energetically undertaken. j " We are satisfied that in the cause of united effort for higher education, the New Zealand University will show an equal desire to compromise lesser difficulties ; and that in the result the Otago University will be compensated for any sacrifices it may have made on the present occasion. We urgently recommend the Board of Governors to endorse our action in this matter, and thus to complete a negotiation which we hope will be followed by such an understanding between the University of New Zealand, the University of Otago, and the Canterbury College, as may tend to put an end to differences which have hitherto obstructed the progress of higher education in the colony. ' We have the honor to be, Sir, " Your obedient servants, " Chas. C. Bowen. "Wm. Jas. Habens." The Rev C. Fraser moved, " That the report be adopted, and that the thanks of tbe Board of Governors be given to the deputation for the manner in which they conducted the negotiations." Mr George Gould seconded the motion. A conversational discussion took place, after which - the chairman put the moMon, which was unanimously carried. The Rev C. Fraser moved, " That the general purposes committee be instructed to appoint a deputation to appear before the New Zealand University Council in support of the application for affiliation, and that the Otago University Council be invited to take similar action." Judge Gresson seconded the resolution, which was carried. The meeting then adjourned.