THE PREMIER AND THE “UNDERGRADE.’

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1325, 26 August 1886, Page 2

THE PREMIER AND THE “UNDERGRADE.’

Dunedin, August £5. The University undergraduates enjoyed a complete triumph over Sir Robert Stout. They had organised the usual reception of oat-calls, barrings, firing peashooters, eto , and for half au hour from the back of the hall at intervals they kept op a pretty good row, through the whole thing was carried out goodhumouredly, At the outset the Premier showed himself in a bad temper by declaring that he wou’d not proceed with the business unless order was kept : the students ware disgracing themselves and the University.

A quarter of an hour laler, (ha noise being resumed, Sir Robert stout stopped, sayng, “I see one gentlemen making a noise- I know bia name. If lam interrupted again, I shall issue a summons agains' him, tr.morrow. I need not say lam a man of my word. I suppose the students are not aware that one of our Acts makes it an «fl .naive punishable by imprisonment for interrupting a meeting.” At this point, the students rose en masae, and left the halls, continuing the noises outside. Sir Robert Stout ordered the doors to be closed. At the conclusion of of his address (in the course of which be urged the necessity for closer relations between the Primary Schoo’s and the University, and claimed that School Com* mittees should insist on having teachers with Jniversity degrees), -the students returned to the hall, and whenever dnr< ing the remainder of the proceedings Sir Roberts Stou’t name was mentioned, they groaned him. 'I hey gave Dr Stuara quite an ovation, and wound up with “ three groans for Stout" As he entered his cab, they lined the streets and again

groaned him. The general opinion is that Sir Robert Stoat thowed a great want of taet. The Times, in referring to the matter, saya;— The Premier haa only himaeif to thank for the unpleasant experience he went through last evening. It showed a iamentrble want of tact and an unpleasantly arbitarary disposition cn Sir B, Stoat’s part bl an attempt to deal with a difficqlty whieh was beneath hit notice, by calling in the aid of the police, and giving the unruly students in charge. The Premier had an excellent opportunity of making the students ashamed of their misconduct by a grave rebuke, to which hla grave popularity with them would have given much mpre weight than the remonstrance of Professors or of tha Press. Instead of that, be allowed them to give him a lesson in temper and tact. Of all men, so thorough a radical and excessive a lover of independence of character as Sir Robert Stoat, should not have fallen Into such a mistake.