5

E.—7 A.

prospect of success. But they are also strongly of opinion that the colony should look to the establishment of a university of its own, as an absolute requirement for the future, and to be undertaken whenever practicable. In the meantime, they earnestly recommend that a portion of the lands at the disposal of the public be immediately set apart as an endowment for such a university, the proceeds, until its establishment be practicable, being appropriated for the exhibitions above suggested. They believe that an exceedingly favourable opportunity for such an endowment offers itself to the Government at the present moment, as it has at its disposal some very large tracts of valuable lands in the confiscated districts, which belong to the colony, and should be applied to some purpose beneficial to the whole colonial community. It is not easy to conceive any purpose of more general and permanent benefit than the appropriation now recommended." In the following year —1868 —legislation was passed validating the setting-aside of a reserve of 10,000 acres in Taranaki (Opaku Reserve), 10,000 acres in Auckland, and some small blocks in Hokitika and elsewhere as endowments for a future university. News of the investigation of the parliamentary Committee excited keen interest in Otago, where the proposal to found a colonial university seemed to bring within reach of realization the ideas that had long been current. The matter was brought before the Provincial Council in J 868, in the opening address of the Superintendent. This led to a Provincial Ordinance in 1869 incorporating the University of Otago. Following closely on the founding of this institution came the establishment of the University of New Zealand under an Act of the General Assembly, " The New Zealand University Act, 1870." This Act provided for the merging of the University of Otago into the University of New Zealand, which it was intended should be established in Dunedin, at that time the most populous centre in the Dominion. The union between the two Universities was for some time retarded on the question of the inclusion of ministers of religion on the Council of the proposed common University, and the six-months period allowed for the arrangement of amalgamation by the 1870 Act was allowed to lapse. In consequence, the new Council of the New Zealand University did not consider itself bound by the letter or spirit of the 1870 Act—i.e., that the University was to be situated in Dunedin— but proceeded to affiliate to itself certain provincial colleges of secondary-school rank and to encourage higher teaching in some of these institutions by grants, the sole condition of affiliation being that the college should be competent to supply adequate instruction in at least three of the following subjects : Classics, mathematics, natural philosophy, English language and literature, modern languages (other than English), physical science, general history, mental philosophy. The colleges so affiliated were : Auckland College and Grammar School; Wellington College and Grammar School; Nelson College; Canterbury Collegiate Union. Speaking before the 1879 Commission, the first Chancellor, Mr. H. J. Tancred, stated : " The principle of the University of New Zealand is that facilities for higher education should be distributed among as many centres as possible . . . it is desirable to bring the benefits of higher culture within the reach of the great mass of the population ... If the university teaching is confined to one place no student living at a distance and not possessed of considerable private means, will be able to avail himself of that teaching ... It is too much the custom to assume that the role and object of a university is to pick out the cleverest students on whom it can confer degrees and bestow other rewards and honours, leaving the rest of the community to grope in the dark. In my opinion the conferring of degrees and other distinctions is not an end in itself but merely a means to that end, that end being the diffusion of learning and culture over as wide an area as possible and the establishment of university education on a really national basis."* The establishment of the Canterbury College in 1873 by a Provincial Ordinance introduced a new complication, and the Canterbury College Board entered into negotiations with Otago University "to ascertain if the Otago University and the College can arrange to take common action in applying for affiliation with the University of New Zealand."!

University of Otago established 1869.

University of New Zealand Act, 1870, contemplated merger with Otago.

Opinion of Mr. H. J. Tailored, first Chancellor.

Establishment of Canterbury College leads to amalgamation of universities.

* 1879 Commission Report, p. 14. f Resolution of Board of Governors, Canterbury College, March, 1874.