J.—2.

1873. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF THE CHANCELLOR, VICE-CHANCELLOR, AND COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO.

Presented 29th July, 1573, and ordered to he printed Qtli August.

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Bepresentatives of the Colony of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled. Tiie humble Petition of the Chancelloe, Vice-Chancelloe, and Council of the Univeesitt of Otago, in the Colony of New Zealand, humblt showeth, — That the University of Otago, in the Colony of New Zealand, was, in the year 1869, founded and incorporated for the promotion of sound learning by an Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the said Province, under the style or title of " The University of Otago." That the said University has been liberally endowed by the said Provincial Council, by grants of money, by the conveyance to the Council of the said University of a suitable building, erected at a cost exceeding thirty thousand pounds, and by a grant of two hundred thousand acres of land in the said Province, from which a largo annual income is derived. That the said University was opened for the reception of students in the year 1871, under four highly competent persons, namely, —one for the Classical Languages and the English Language, one for Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, one for Chemistry and Geology and Mineralogy, and one for Logic and Mental and Moral Philosophy, the last-named Professorship being supported by special and separate endowment; and tho Council has made arrangements for Law Classes, and has also under consideration arrangements for the establishment of Medical Classes. That the said University is now in the third year of its operations, and already numbers seventy students attending the lectures of the several Professors. That, in addition to the means of education provided out of the funds of the said University, two scholarships have been founded by private individuals. That the standard of acquirements which must be attained by graduates in the University of Otago is not below that prescribed by the learned Universities of the United Kingdom, and that steps arc being taken which will not only prevent the possibility of such standard being lowered, or being materially altered, without the sanction of Her Majesty's Eepresentative in tho Colony for the time being, but which, it is believed by your Petitioners, will have the tendency of raising such standard year by year. That it is desirable to have the Degrees of the University of Otago generally recognized throughout Her Majesty's Dominions. That although the Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the Province of Otago, hereinbefore referred to, which incorporates the University and confers the power of granting Degrees, has become law, yet the Degrees so to be granted by the said University under the authority of the said Ordinance are not legally entitled to recognition beyond the limits of the Province of Otago, and your Petitioners are in consequence most desirous to obtain a grant from Her Majesty of Letters Patent requiring all Her Majesty's subjects to recognize the Degrees given under the authority of the said Ordinance, in the same manner as if the said Degrees had been granted by any University of the United Kingdom. Tour Petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honourable House will be pleased to take the premises into your consideration, and recommend that Letters Patent effective for the objects in their humble Petition set forth, may be granted to the University of Otago. And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c. [Here follow 11 signatures.] By Authority: Geobgb Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB73. [Price 3d.}