NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10593, 28 February 1895, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY SENATE.

The annual meeting of the Senate was opened in the hall of Canterbury College at noon yesterday; present—The Chancellor (Sir James Hector) Rev J. C. Andrew (vicechancellor), Hons C. C. Bowen and W. Eolleston, Sir J, Prendorgast, Eight Eev Dr Cowie, .Eeva J. Paterson, Dr Salmond and W. J. Habens, Professors J. M. Brown, F. D. Brown, Scott, Shand, Sale and Cook and Mr Giles,

The Chancellor presented his report for the year 1894-5. The Chancellor, in the course of a lengthened address, referred to the death of Dr Stuart, and to the great services rendered to the cause of education by him. The accounts submitted showed the receipts of the Senate to have been £5828 Os 7d, including the statutory grant of .£3OOO, and the expenditure .£5249 5a 9d, leaving a credit balance of .£578 14s lOd. The investments of the University were eteadily increasing, and were £SOO more than in 1893. The Exhibition Commissioners had been so well satisfied with the work done by Mr D. H. Jackson that they included him amongst the'five whose scholarships had been extended for a third year, a proceeding which indi-, cated not only that he had been steadily pursuing his studies, but also that the work on which he was engaged was likely to be of scientific importance. Two candidates in 1894 for the science scholarship were so nearly equal that the examiners in England had much difficulty in separating them, and an effort was being made to secure an additional scholarship. Preliminary steps had been taken, under the Act of last session, for the establishment of a University College for the middle districts of the colony. Some correspondence had occurred with the Hon the Minister of Education during the year with reference to the provision in the Statute “Terms and Lectures” that all undergraduates,'in order to qualify for the University examinations, must keep terms by passing in each year the annual examination of the College to which they are attached. The Minister appeared to think that this provision pressed hardly upon certain students, who were unable, from distance or other causes, to attend College lectures. The matter was still unsettled. Letters had been addressed to certain universities in the United Kingdomand Australia regarding the status of New Zealand medical students going there, and replies received. In addition he had received from the University of London its new regulations for degrees in medicine, and from the University of Oxford its new regulations for the “ local examinations also a letter from the University of Oxford, extending to this University the privileges accorded to those of India and other colonies. A number of important questions would demand the attention of the Senate during its present sitting. He referred to the growth of the University, the number of undergraduates having increased from 960 in 1890 to 1551 at the end of 1894. This large number did not consist, even principally, of persona of what were called the “ higher classes.” It was the fashion sometimes to decry University education as benefiting chiefly those who could well afford to pay for if. But, although not able to give any definite classification of the undergraduates in New Zealand, he believed ha was correct in saying that a large number of them belonged strictly to what were termed the

“ working classes,” and that it was by no means the rule of those who were wealthy to send their sons and daughters to a colonial University; they preferred to send them to Universities in England or elsewhere. The large number of exhibitions, scholarships and bursaries granted in the colony throughout the whole educational system placed secondary and higher education within the reach of the great majority of the population. It should not be forgotten that, whilst the Senate received from the Treasury the sum of £3OOO per annum, the accounts showed that .£1670 was at once returned direct to the people in the shape of scholarships, while £12,750 was set aside as a fund (yearly increasing) from which a continuous number of scholarships might always be provided. The hours of meeting during the session were arranged as from 10 a,m. to 12.45, and 2.30 p.rn.. and consideration of the Chancellor’s address was made an order of the day for Thursday. Several notices of motion of a formal character were given, and the Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday. ,