The Evening Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2533, 30 March 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1871.

Wk are given to understand by the writer ot‘ tl:c leading article in yesterday’s I)ail// Times, a]most in. so many words, that he is one of “ the few “ leading educational spirits”.of Otago. We are very glad to hear it—very glad indeed ;' and more especially as m should never have suspected that this •was the case from his logic, from Ins style of writing, or from his iinding it necessary to bestow abuse so very liberally upon those who have the mistertune to differ from him. We hj ive no wish to tight this "leading spirit' 1 with his own weapons ; we use no terms selected from the vocabulary of Billingsgate, but shall endeavor to answer his arguments*, such as they arc, in a calm and dispassionate tone. We must, however, notice one term applied seemingly to us by the writer of the article in question. He called us “ social “ gnats,” What idea the writer intends to convey by the use of this elegant expression, we have not the least idea ; hut there is reason to believe that it is something gregarious and dreadful. The /'asocial gnat stings horribly. If he means that he was stung by our remarks on bis first article, we can only say that the very angry tone of his second prevents us from being altogether unprepared to believe that. “ It is surprising,” says this writer, “how very few really know “ what is the essential difference be- “ tween a University and a College.” It is indeed very surprising ; and it is perhaps more surprising that lie himself is not one of the very few. Again ] ie says “ The utmost confusion of “ thought prevails in our midst ns to “ the relative functions of a University and a College.” In a lunatic asylum many a patient is fully aware of the condition of those around him, hut is utterly unable to see that ho himself is in a similar sad plight. Such is the case with our Sir Oracle, who allows no dog to hark when he speaks. And yet it would seem (hat it is hy no means difficult to “ define the distinction ” between the meanings of the terms “ College 0 and “ University the modern meanings, at any rate. A College is an institution at which some of tbe sciences, some art or arts, arc taught by professors appointed for the purpose : thus we have the Royal College of Surgeons, the Battersea Training College for Schoolmasters, Nelson College for Boys, Ladies’ Colleges, Writing Colleges, and so forth ; in fact, these institutions do (ho work which, with singular infelicity, the Bail// Times would assign to the University. On the other hand, the work of the University is to give the highest mental culture, to complete what is called a liberal education ; and, finally, to distinguish hy its approval and to vouch for the capabilities of those persons who have received such a liberal education, or who have become proficient in any of the learned professions, whether at the Luiverslty itself, or at a College connected with the University. It seems certain, then, that what we want here is a University, and not a College—an institution which shall give the highest liberal culture, and not professional instruction, In this particular we thoroughly agree with what is laid down in the article to which we refer. Wo can also cordially assent to the statement therein made as to the necessity of avoiding all sham in starting tho University. We must begin at the bottom, and endeavor to climb up the steep hill gradually, as the Universities of | Melbourne and Sydney have done, } Those institutions commenced from the ■ first by requiring all their candidates to pass a matriculation examination of sufficient difficulty to show that those who had passed it were too far advanced (0 profit much by a longer

attendance at school, and sufficiently advanced "to reap benefit from the lectures delivered by the professors. This rule was strictly adhered to, and the result was that for some time a professor might be found lecturing to two or three students. But there was lie re no sham—no attempt, by making a royal road to learning, to increase the numbers attending the University, so that the officers connected with it might lie able to say that the institution was a “ great success.” An acorn was planted i it has now become a sturdy young sapling oak. Had mushroom" spawn been sown, a mushroom would have sprung rip —in a night perchance, but to perish with ecpial celerity. We do not advise, we never did advise—the writer in the Times knows it well—that an attempt should be made to make onv University at once a full-grown Oxford, London, or Berlin ; but we most earnestly hope that the Council of the University will insist on making it a healthy yonwj Oxford, London, or Berlin, which may in our time grow to the dimensions of its venerable predecessors, and not allow a wretched nondescript thing to come into being, which could be expected, even if it survived its birth, only to wither and piue away in infancy or very early childhood, and sink into an unhonored grave. But while it is so necessary that the University standard should be placed high-—so

high that the worst of it that the members of other Universities could say of it should be that it was a small institution—there is, as we said the other day, no reason why all persons who wish to attend any of the course of lectures at the University should not do so on payment of the lees. On the contrary, a vast deal of information and intelligence might tints be spread abroad throughout the Province, \ouug men, and young women too, should he encouraged to attend the hj etmes as far its possible : many are the useful lessons they might learn from them. All we contend for is this, that candidates for degrees should bo subjected to strict examination from the beginning, so that none may receive University distinctions who will not he able to "hold their own when brought into contact with the members of other Universities,