H.—le.

8

A voucher in favour of the University for the two sums voted last session of £500 for the services of the Director, and £500 to make good a vote of the Provincial Council (for appliances), has been passed for payment. These sums the Council will of course see are applied strictly to the purposes intended by the Legislature. I have, &c, The Chancellor, University of Otago, Dimedin. John Hislop.

No. 19. The CnANCELLOE to the Hon. the Ministee of Education. Sic,— University of Otago, Dunedin, 21st March, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Hislop's letter of the sth of this month, written by your direction, acknowledging the receipt of my letter of the 27th February, and approving of the action taken by the Council of the University in relation to the School of Mines. I am also to thank you and the Government for the sum of £1,000, of which £500 is in aid of the salary of the Director, and £500 for appliances; and lam to assure you that the whole sum will be strictly applied to the purposes intended by the Legislature. Testerday I received a letter from Mr. Ulrich (copy of which I enclose) accepting the offer made to him in my letter of the 20th of February, in accordance with the terms of my letter. I had the honour to telegraph to you yesterday announcing Mr. Ulrich's acceptance of the offer made to him. On his arrival, and after consultation with him, no time will be lost in organizing the School of Mines, which the Council regards of the greatest importance to the country. I have, &c, H. S. Chapman, The Hon. J. Ballance, M.H.R., Minister of Education. Chancellor.

Enclosure in No. 19. Mr. Uleich to the Chancelloe. Sic, — Industrial and Technological Museum, Melbourne, 12th March, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the Ist instant of your letter of the 20th ultimo, offering me, on behalf the Council of the University of Otago, the position of Professor of Mineralogy and Metallurgy, and Director of the School of Mines at that University. Appreciating the distinction conferred upon me, and the trust implied by this offer, I herewith have much pleasure in accepting it, feeling confident that I shall fulfil the duties of the office to the satisfaction of the Council. In accordance with this, I shall at once resign the positions of Lecturer in Mining at the University, aud that of Lecturer in Mineralogy and Curator of the mineral section at the Museum, I here occupied for several years, and commence active preparations for early departure. The Hon. H. S. Chapman, I have, &c, Chancellor of the University of Otago. Geoege H. F. Uleich.

No. 20. The Seceetaey of Education to the Chancellor. Sic, — Education Department, Wellington, 2Sth March, 1878. I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Education, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 21st instant, and to express the satisfaction of the Government at Mr. Ulrich's acceptance of the Directorship of the School of Mines. I have, &c, The Chancellor, University of Otago, Dunedin. John Hislop.

No. 21. The Chancelloe to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sic,— University of Otago, 20th August, 1878. On Saturday last the Registrar, by the direction of the Council of this University, forwarded to you a copy of a report of the Professorial Board on the organization of the School of Mines, with regulations for the course of study. The Council at its meeting on Saturday passed certain resolutions having reference to the abovementioned report, and I was deputed to transmit the same to you; a copy of which is accordingly appended. In support of the Council's application, I am to mention that the two functions which the Government has lately intrusted to the University have entailed an expenditure much beyond the aids placed at the Council's disposal. The maintenance of the public Museum in a state of efficiency—and I may state that it is now in very perfect order, and is as attractive to the public as it is useful to students—entails an expenditure of at least £600 per annum over and above the present annual value of the endowment granted to the University for the support of the Museum. The efficient working of the School of Mines will ultimately entail at least as great a charge on the University funds. A careful perusal of the report of the Professorial Board will make this very apparent.