A COLLEGE FOR OTAGO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3354, 16 April 1868, Page 3

A COLLEGE FOR OTAGO.

The members of a deputation of the Presbyterian Synod of Otag<» and Southland waited, on March 19, on Mr. Macandrew, with regard to the establishment of a College for the province. The members of the deputation were Mr. E. B. Cargill, Mr. J. Gillies, and the Rev. Messrs. Stuart, Scrimgeour, Sutherland, Johnstone, Gillies, and Will. Mr. Cargill, as convener of the committee, introduced the deputation, and stated the object of the interview. Mr. Cargill read the following as the resolution in accordance with which the deputation had waited upon his Honor : — •• The committee, having considered the matter remitted to them by the Synod, agree to wait upon the Government to-morrow, and lay before them the expression of the earnest desire of the Presbyterian portion of the community to co-operate with the Government in establishing a college in Otago, and acquaint them with thereadiness of the Synod to endow one chair in such institution in terms of the Presbyterian Church Lands Actj trusting that immediate steps may be taken by the Government to proceed in the matter." The Superintendent said he was very glad the committee had taken such action. He had no doubt that the action they had taken would strengthen the hands of the Government in connection with the propositions which it was intended to submit to the^ Provincial Council. He might Btate that he was now endeavouring to find a suitable large block of land, with the intention to its being reserved as an endowment to the proposed college ; and he hoped to be able, in the course of a few days, to put that intention into practical shape. It was a difficult matter to get a block sufficiently large, without making arrangements with existing tenants ; but he was now in treaty with, at least, one pastoral tenant of the Crown, with whom he might make arrangements to get 100,000 acres. When they were about it, he thought they should do the thing properly. That extent of acreage would produce a fund at once enabling them to start a college, especially as the Synod were willing to endow, one chair; and be thought they should be able to do without having recourse at all to the revenue of the province. He thought it was a matter which could be sustained without annual appropriation. His views on the subject, otherwise, had been expressed before a committee of the House of Representatives. It was hoped that they would have got the new Post-office, part of which might be devoted to the purposes of a college. It was not an exactly suitable building ; still, as it was there, it might be so used. He was by no means certain that they would not yet get it. He had adopted the unusual course of sending a circular to all the members of the Provincial Council on the subject of supplying another building to the General Government on receiving possession of the Post-office. The result of his inquiries, however, was that, although a majority of the members of the Provincial Council would have approved of the course proposed by the Government, there was not a sufficient majority to warrant the Government in taking any action until the Council was in session. When the Council did meet he thought they would still be able to have the Post-office. He could only repeat that the movement on the part of the deputation was very gratifying to him. It would certainly strengthen the hands of the Executive, and he had no doubt it would have its due influence on the minds of the representatives of the people.