NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY SENATE. Auckland, February 24.

Otago Witness, Issue 2244, 4 March 1897, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY SENATE. Auckland, February 24.

The twenty-third annual session of the Senate of the New Zealand University was opened to-day in the Government House Buildings. Sir James Hector was in the chair, and those in attendance were Sir G. M. O'Rorke, Dr MacGregor, Dr E. Giles, and the Rev. Mr Patterson. The Chancellor stated that there was only just a quorum present, and asked if it was the wish ot those present to go on with formal business to-day, and then adjourn until tomorrow morning, by which time other southern senators would have arrived. This course was agreed to. The Chancellor submitted his report of the proceedings of the New Zealand University during the past year, as required by statute. He alio laid before the senate the reports received from affiliated colleges. The report went on to state that the appointment of several new examiners is required. In accordance "nth the wish of the senate Professor HaleSj of King's College, London, was appointed examiner in English. Judge Webb has now completed his term of five years as examiner in Roman and international l«.w, and a successor in that office is required. It appears to be also necessary to appoint an examiner for the B.Sc. pass in anatomy and physiology, and the chancellor thinks that the notice required from candidates in those subjects should bo given to the registrar in April instead of September. Examiners in New Zealand are required for November and January in law and medicine, and in the history of music and for all the subjects of the December examinations. As against 383 students matriculated in 1894 and 1895, 323 were candidates in 1896. The income and expenditure for the year are as follow : — Income : Statutory grant, £3000 ; fees, £2604- 11s 6d ; interest, £865 3s 4d; miscellaneous, £42 16s lid ;— total, £6512 lls 9d. Expenditure : Senate, £205 5s lid ; office, £528 ss ; examiners paid in England, £846 Is 8d ; paid in New Zealand. £2L70 2s lid (£3016 4s 7d) ; scholarships, £2015 ; convocation, £20 ; general purposes, £282 7s ; balance, £550 9s 3d ;— total, £6512 lls 9d— as against £6240 16s 3d in 1895, an increase of £230. With regard to the Exhibition of 1851 science scholarship, the Royal Commission granted the scholarship of 1895 to the candidate nominated by the senate last year. There is not a scholarship available for 1896 in New Zealand. Certain concessions to New Zealand students at Edinburgh University have lately been made, respecting which two letters from the University of Edinburgh were received during the year. In the first it was stated that New Zealand medical students at Edinburgh who have graduated in arts or science in the colony and who have passed in botany, zoology, physics, or chemistry will be in future exempted, as they are now at Aberdeen, from examination in those subjects. In the second the University of Edinburgh recognises the University of New Zealand for the purposes of graduation in soience under the Scottish University Ordinance. The report then referred to a number of questions reserved for the decision of the senate. The chancellor submitted a return showing the number of candidates for all the examinations of the year. The total was 1149 as against 1071 in 1895. A special session of the senate will (he stated) be required in April to consider the reports of the examiners in England. This return showed that in the November examinations there were 389 candi-

dates as against 135 at the November examinations in 1895, and *fc the December examinations thera were 673 as against 735 in the corresponding examinations in the previous year. At tie concluiion of the chancellor's reports the senate adjourned till to-morrow. j February 25. The N«w Zealand University Semite resumed to-day, 12 members being present. On the recommendation of the Recess Committee the senate resolved to confer the junior scholar- ! ships of the year, in order of merit, on the following : — M. C Keane, L. J. H. Greenwood, W. L. Scott (Christchurch), Sarah Gordon, W. H. Mao Lean (Wanganui), G. G. Howes, J. Laug, W. M. Thomson, Flora J. Hodges, A. H. Morgan, J. T. Mathesoa (Duuedin), F. L. FogsoD, A. N. Fell (Nelson), Edith L». Brown (Invercargill), and Cora V. Hickson (Wellington). Keane, Pogson, and Scott have resigned their scholarships, and the filling up of the vacancies has been left to the Select Committee. The senate to-day resolved that of the remaining candidates for the junior scholarships 25 be recorded as having gained credit and qualified for matriculation, and that the 27 whose marks whose scheduled be recorded as qualified for matrioulation ; that of the 557 candidates for matrioulation 377 be allowed to pa?s ; that of the 55 candidates for the medical preliminary 31 be allowed to pass ; that of tbe 39 who were candidates for the solicitor*' general knowledge examination six be allowed - to pass. la reference to the examination of oandi- I dates for B.Sc. in anatomy and physiology, the chancellor said that examination in anatomy and physiology in the medioal course should be sufficient for the science coarse. Practical examinations were of the j most value. Perhaps instead of appointing an examiner in England it would be well for a select committee to keep before them whether it would not be better to make a radical change. The whole question of appointing examiners was referred to a committee. The senate resolved that the academic dress for bachelor of science men bo the same as at present. A request was received from the German lecturer at Dunedin to add Hebrew to the list of university examination tubjects. — The senate, referred the matter to the Select Committee. The graduates and students of Canterbury College wrote askingr the senate to take charge of the sum of £100 raised by them for a memorial prize to Professor Macmillan Brown. to be open to all New Zealand students, the prize to be £10, awarded biennially, for the best composition, prose or verse, on any topic — literary, scientific, or geographical — landing itself to imaginative treatment. The senate is favourable to the offer, and the details are to be discussed in the afternoon. At the afternoon session the Professor of History in Canterbury College suggested in a letter that the periods now prescribed should be abolished. He considered that they limited the* subject too much. He further suggested the separation of the subject of history from political economy altogether. The letter was referred to the Committee of Authors and Periods. An application under section 7, statute, from an ad cundem graduate (wishing to take B.Sc. degree) for exemption from certain subjects was considered The senate decided that the section did not apply to degrees ad eundem. A letter was read from the • rector of the Otago Boys' High School drawing attention to the necessity for » revision of the regulations for the medical preliminary examination. He ventured the opinion that " De Officiis" was unsuitable, and favoured the substitution of a book of 11 Ctesar," which would fit in with the work of secondary schools, where candidates were chiefly prepared. C midering the important bearing of cartain science on the medic»l profession it seemed to be undesirable in the interests of medicine that whereas candidates for matrioulation have the option of selecting four out of fivo sciences as subjects of examination, it should not be competent for those who desire to study medicine to choose any science as a subjeot of their preliminary or matriculation examination. The communication was referred to a select committee. A resolution for the General Medical- Council of Great Britain that all bodies conducting medical preliminary examination should raise their standard, at least gradually, was also considered, and it was decided that the registrar should make farther inquiries of the council re the matter. One of the supervisors in a large examination wrote calling attention to the Urge amount of work entailed by the growth of the university, and asking the senate to consider whether the fees should not be raised. The subject was referred to a select committee. The committee then reported progress, and the report w«s adopted on the motion of the Vice-chancellor. February 27. At the University Senate's meeting co-day, the Rev. J. C. Andrew moved — " That in the event of persons afflicted with blindness, offering themselves at the university examination, such answers to* questions in arithmetic only •hall be required from them *8 may flaally ba arrived at by the practice of mental arithmetic." The motion was lost, the senate objecting to any relaxation of the examination. Sir Robert Stout will move on Monday — " That the senate again urge on the Government to provide an efficient endowment for the Middle Island University College." The senate decided to confer the degree of LL.B. of the New Zealand University on the following :— M. Myers, E. R. Benjamin, T. A. Murphy, F. J. Rolleuton, J. H. Moore, W. C. Wigley, J. A. Tripe, F. W. Platts, A. T. Ngata. It was also decided to record the following as having passed the third examination for LL.B. degree:— J. B. Nichol, H. W. Muff, J. G. Stuart. The senate resolved, in order to meet the demand of the British Medical Council regarding the seven months which must elapse between the medical students' registration and final professional examination, that the third examination shall be held in the last week in January. March 1. The University Senate resumed this morning. On the motion of Sir Robert Stout, the senate 'resolved to request the Government to provide an efficient endowment for the Middle Diitrict New Zealand University College. It was resolved to record tbe following as having passed the whole medical intermediate examination : — W. A Robinson, B.A , D. H. B. Bett, G. MacFarland, A. J. Crawford, R. Briffault Dechancel, F. R Hotop, M. C. Morkane, W. W. Moore, F. M'Kibbin, J. G. Macdonald, J. J. Cook, Helena Baxter, C. C. MAdam, E. J. M'Ara. It was also decided to record the following as having passed part of the intermediate medical examination :—ln: — In biology and physics— J. L. Blakie, E. H. B. Reidly, W. A. M Macara, E. A. Bett, P. Gow, B. J. Hislop, J. Brugh, A. Balfour, T. Mill, A. Moore, J. F. Duncan, G. E. Soltau, .C. E. Marshall, G. A. J. Tait, G. F. Gill. The following were recorded as having passed the first professional examination : — W. Sutherland, W. E Gibson, A. J. Hall, Jane Kinder, W. Robertson, A. N. Adams, A. Woodward. The following were recorded as having passed

the second professional examination : — W. J. Cran, C. North, E. J. O'Neill. The following passed all the examinations for the degrees of M.B. and Ch.B :— Margaret Burnett Oruickehank, Arthur Edward Albert Palmer, BA. The senate also decided to confer the degrees of M.B , Ch.B. on these two candidates. Speaking to the motion for endowments for • the Middle Districb (Wellington) College, Sir G. M. O'Rorke said that when the bill patsed ten years ago giving Wellington two professors, the site for a college, and an endowment of £1500 a year, the Wellington members of the Legislative Council threw «uoh obstacles in the way that it never became law. The mistake, however, should be rectified. He believed the Wellirg.ou College would in time become the most important in the colony.