NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2278, 25 August 1870, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

The following is the petition of the ing body of Christ’s College, Christchurch, which appears to have had considerable inlicence on hon. members’ minds, when the University Bill was under consideration : To the Honorable the House of Bopresentatives, in Parliament assembled, the Petition of the Warden and Fellows of Christ’s College, Canterbury, Humbly sheweth That your petitioners are aware that a Bill ia now before your.Honorable House, by which it is proposed to create a New Zealand University, and that, conditionally on agreement between the Council of the said University and the Council of the University of Otago, it is proposed to fix the seat of the New Zealand University at Dunedin. That your petitioners, whilst they recognise the great advantage that would be derived by the colony from the establishment of an examining body which might form the nucleus of a future University, do not consider it advisable to attempt to localise a University under the existing circumstances of New Zealand.

That under the existing circumstances of the colony it would be premature to expect any considerable number of students to b collected in one place from the differen settlements in New Zealand, or that they would submit to such lengthened course of instruction as would justify the conferring of degrees. That for the present we must rely upon local schools and colleges to do the teaching wor£, looking to the future adiliation of such colleges to q, New Zealand University. Your petitioners would most respectfully suggest that a University : be appointed by awtljon y of Parliament. That such University Commission b<? 'npt connected with any particular locality as the probab'e seat of the future University. That its functions should be;— (1) To hold in trust any public or private endowments for the foundation of a University. (2) To confer with, advise, and assist the managers of existing educational institutions. i[3) To fix a standard of attainment in the ordinary branches of a liberal education, to ho reached by those y/ho are candidates for admission to the legal and medicaj professions, and to the Civil Service of the colony due regard being had to the requirements of such professions and employments in England. (4) To make provision for periodical examinations throughout the colony, and to confer certificates of proficiency. Y.Qur pptitiojfCfs conceive— That a University' Commission, constituted by Act of Parliament wilh sucji function are described above, would bo a powerful means of improving the standard of a liberal education, and would tend to hasten the time when a University, in the highest sense, may be founded with the greatest advantage to all parts of the Colony. That the progress of time will show what particftUif locality vyill be the most convenient seat of the University of New Zealand, Your petitioners therefore pray — That the scheme for the immediate foundation of a University, as embodied in a Bill now before Parliament, intituled an Act to establish a University for tire Colony of New Zealand may not bo carried out, but that some such plan may be adopted as your petitioners have ventured to suggest