THE UNIVERSITY AND THE PRIVY COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 28, 2 February 1907, Page 4

THE UNIVERSITY AND THE PRIVY COUNCIL

In the proceedings of tho University Senate, as in the address with which they were opened by the Chancellor on the 23rd ult., the one outstanding point of keen public interest was the trouble with the Privy Council. The Senate had petitioned the King with tho object of securing fnll recognition and validity for its new degrees throughout the British Empire- ; and the Privy Council, to which the petition was presented, was not- only exceedingly slow in dealing with ifc, but made such requisition in the matter as to show, in the Chancellor's opinion, that the Council "distrusts our University, and seems ign6rant of the requirements of University education." The case as stated by Sir Piobert Stout was certainly serious enough to require a full explanation from the Home authorities, but wo expressed at the time our hope that the Senate would not bo led by a natural feeling of resentment to act upon his suggestion that ' the petition should be withdrawn. A resolution to that effect was, however, moved by Mr Hogben, and after a long discussion, of which no particulars werfl supplied by i the Press Association, it was carried. I The sequel is told in a message from Christchurch to-day. The High Commissioner, who had been requested to givo effect to the resolution, replied that the Privy Council proposed to grant the greater part of the New Zealand University petition,' and would send an official reply within three days." He had, therefore, taken tho responsibility |of wiihholding the Chancellors telegram for the present ; but the Chancellor and tho Senate have proved inexorablo. In the Chancellor's opinion "to only grant the request of the Senate in respect to a portion of the degrees would be worse than no grant at all," and, agreeing with him, the Senate decided to inform the High Commissioner that it "insists on withdrawal of petition unless all degrees are granted." The result is, wo think, to bo deplored as it means that the new degrees will not have the same world-wide standing as the old ones, and therb is no compensation in the fact that tho dilatorincss of the Privy Council appears to be more to be blamed in the matter than the dilator iness t)f I our Senate. The Privy Council may have deserved a snub, but the substantial penalty falls upon the colony, and we trust that through the intervention of the High Commissioner an arrangement may yet be made which will sayo our new degrees while at the sam~ time saving the face ofv.both parties.