ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLLEGE. DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 852, 28 March 1868, Page 6

ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLLEGE. DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

The 1 members of^'a' Committee , of the Presbyterian Synod'of Gtago and Southland waited on the 19th inst. on His Honor the Superintendent. The deputation consisted of MrE.'B. Oargill, Mr J. Gillies^ and the Rev.-Messrs Stuart, 1 " Scrimgeour,' Sutherland^ Johnstone, Gillies, and Will. Mr Cargtlli, as the Convener of the Committee, introduced the deputation, and stated the object of the interview. When our reporter entered the room, Mr Cargill had concluded his remarks, and was reading'the fallowing as the resolution in accordance with which the deputation had waited upon His Honor : — "The Com-" mittee having considered the matter re-^ mittedito 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 the readiness of the Synod to endow one chair in such institution in terms of the Presbyterian Church Lands Act ; trusting that immediate steps may be taken by the Government'to proceed in the matter." j

The Superintendent : I suppose the chair proposed is a secular chair ? Mr Cargill : A secular chair.

Mr Gillies read the terms of the Act : — "That the Trustees shall, from time to time, apply the said Education Fund (in accordance with regulations to be made by the said' Synod in a manner hereinafter mentioned), in the erection or endowment of a literary chair, or chairs, in any College or University which shall be erected, or shall exist, in the Province ef Otago, or for either or both of these purposes."

The Superintendent said he was very glad the Committee had taken such action. Ho 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 state that he was now i endeavoring 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 he 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 any annual appropriation. His views on the subject, otherwise, had been expressed before a Committee of the House of ReDresentatives. 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 that 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. Mr Cargtll said the fund at the disposal of the Synod already produced an annual income, which would suffice to at once establish the Chair which it was proposed to endow.

The Superintendent said that, of course, there were matters of detail upon which they did not need to enter then ; but he presumed the Synod were prepared to enter into a definite arrangement with the Government.

The R v. Mr Win said it was proposed to endow one chair at least ; probably more, in course of time.

Mr Gillies said it would be observed "by the Act that the fund could not be applied to any other purpose— that it must;

be for a College ,in r Obagor r Anywhere else, the fund could' not be a^plied^J.^ * -Thd'^SWRIK NfEirBENT " thought that 'there was a-good-deal' of force in what Mr ICargill had said, that they should take the 'tide, at. its flood. There- was a general; feeling just now in favor'of such an institution, and it would be wrong not to take advantage of it.> . He thought they should gq into, the matter entirely Provincially. If ;they ctfuld get any endowment from th,e- GeneraLGoYernment, well and good, but he hoped that their proceeding with such a project would not be, contingent ugoja that. The Rev. .Mr Will thought that if accommodation could be had in the Post Office building, and a small grant were given by the Provincial Government, the burden would be very small. Those who ! might wish to pursue their studies further than, they could with the facilities provided^ might go elsewhere. The Superintendent thought that, if a college were established, it would induce a great many to come from other parts of the Colony. Mr Cargill : And many from Australia and India, on account of the climate, if a good college were established. The Superintendent said such had been one of their day-dreams — that New Zealand would be, as it were, the educational focus of the Colonies in the Southern Hemisphere. The Rev. Mr Stuart hoped che Government would not be deterred from proceeding by the want of good buildings. What was wanted were men. It was the men who made the college, not the buildings ; and with the men here, the students would increase, and the buildings would follow in time. The Superintendent said that, of course, it depended entirely upon the Provincial Council, and, in their different spheres, the members of the deputation might do much to influence its members. The Rev. Mr Stuart s*id that, of course, it was intended that the college should be for all. They were only present to acquaint the Government with the views of the Presbyterians. He had no doubt that the other bodies would also acquaint the Government with their views. They were ready to offer any support that they could command.

Mr Gillies thought it should be thoroughly understood that it was only on the broadest principle that they would wish to give their support, and not in the slightest degree upon any sectarian principle. Theological chairs were entirely distinct, and would come at a future time.

The Rev. Mr Stuart had no doubt that the time would come when the leading denominations would unite to erect a theological chair ; but that was a matter of time and growth. Mr Cargill thought that in making arrangements for a College, it was somewhat important to keep in view that it was not desirable to attempt anything on too grand a scale ; not only because a proposal to expend a large amount of money would deter the Council fromj taking up the matter heartily, but because it was a feature which would have a bad effect upon the College itself. He thought that the very liberal and handsome scale upon which the Australian Colleges had been established, had probably proved rather a disadvantage than otherwise. It was the idea of some that a College should be a resort for the studious ill some secluded situation, separated from scenes of the ordinary business of the world ; but he thought that a College suitable for this Colony would be better in the heart of the city, available not only for the few foremost; youths from their schools, but available also for any who, as students, might choose to take advantage of the institution. Many of the most celebrated Colleges of Europe had been carried on in apartments of humble character in the heart of the cities in which they had been established, and in the present day, perhaps, the University of London was an example of the sort of thing which it was advisable to imitate, rather than the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Superintendent considered that they could not have less than two or three chairs. The advantage of a central position was that lectures might be given in the Institution, which might be more generally attended than could otherwise be the case.

The Rev. Mr Scrimgeour looked upon lectureships attached to Colleges as of the greatest importance — he meant lectures on engineering, agricultural chemistry, and kindred subjects. The Rev. Mr Will thought there would be little advantage in appointing three professors at once. A classical professor would, no doubt, get a good attendance thta first year, and by the next year his students would be ready for another professor.

Mr Cargill said that if it came to be simply a matter of erecting two chairs,

without Riding?, Ij&e whole thing would JJt&mhuoiejLl-"- , .«.,»-.--« -^ — ~ v The Superintendent repeated that he ■thought that the whole might be managed without any appropriation. The revenue from' r ahy reserve, he • thought, would be sufficient .for two professorships. The Rev. Mr Stuart reminded His Honor that a moiety of the present Educational Reserves had always been intended to be availa' le in connection with higher education. The Superintendent said they were already bringing in a good income — he supposed about LI6OO a year. The Rev. Mr Sutherland thought that if they had High Schools in different localities throughout, the Province it would go in with the wishes of the people to have some of their sons educated in those higher schools, from which the stu- j dents would be obtained for the central College. He thought it would be well to keep that in view ; and if some of the funds expended upon the High School of Dunedin were appropriated for. schools in other districts, it might, be that they would have a College which would be available by all the differently situated sections of the community. They could not have an efficient College without the stepping stones between it and the commoner schools. The Superintendent said that there was some force in what the Rev. Mr Sutherland said. There were several localities in which the schools were arriving at such a stage. With regard to the situation of the building, he understood the deputation to be of opinion that the Post Office would be suitable. The Rev. Mr Stuart : A very suitable place. The Rev. Mr Will : It is a capital locality. There could not be a better. Mr Cargill thought there could be no doubt that the popular kind of College required should be in the heart of the city, where students of law and others might attend. After some further conversation, the deputation thanked His Honor, and retired.