CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2112, 30 November 1880, Page 3

CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

A meeting of the board of Governors was held at 3 p.m. yesterday. Present—Mr W. Montgomery (chairman), the Primate, Messrs H. R. Webb, B. W. Foreday, H. J. Tancred, E. Wakefield, E. O. J. Stevens, W. Beeves, F. de c. Malet, C. 0. Bowen, W. J. W. Hamilton, Rev. 0. Fraser, Dr. Coward. Rev. 0. Fraser, pursuant to notice, moved —" That the College committee be instructed to report on the result of the late examinations and on the desirableness of the appointment of a Board of Examiners." Mr Wakefield seconded the motion.

The Chairman read a memo, from Professor Brown, stating that if ihe College went outside the Professorial Board the cost to the College would be something like £IOOO per annum. Rev. C. Fraser said what he wanted was that the papers set for examination should come under the eye of the Board proposed to be eleoted. The questions as now set were more calculated to display the powers of the examiners than of tho students proposed to be examined. Mr Bowen wanted to know exactly what Mr Fraser required to be done. He thought it would be very diffioult to get examiners to set papers if they were to be submitted to a Board to see if they were fit or not. Mr Malet suggested that Mr Fraser should withdraw his motion and leave the matter in the hands of the College committee. It would be far better to leave the matter to be discussed in tho College committee than before a full Board. The resolution as at present framed was a sort of reflection on the mode of examination, and as such he could not, as a member of tho Board, vote for it. Mr Hamilton asked whether there was any particular caso to which Mr Fraser referred. Rev. Mr Fraser said there were cases to whioh ho might refer, and he thought that it was clear the chairman wished to keep these matters from going before the public. How* ever, he was quite willing to let tho matter go before the College committee, and he would, therefore, with this explanation, ask leave to withdraw the motion. Leave was given, and the motion with-, drawn. The adjourned debate on the establishment of a hoarding-house in connection with the Boys' High School was resumed. The Chairman said that the committee had reported as follows : 1. The committee reports having obtained the opinion of the solicitor respecting the legality of erecting a boarding establishment at the Boys' High School; and having given the second question remitted to the committee careful consideration, respectfully suggest that the Board should decide the question [of establishing a t boarding-house before tho committee proceed further with a scheme for the management of the institution. The Registrar read the opinion of the solicitor to the Board, which was to the effect that the Board could establish a boardinghouse as requested. The question before the Board was that the Board should establish a boarding-house in connection with the Boys' High Sohool.

Mr Bowen spoke strongly against the proposition, as he felt that it was proposed to establish secular homes with the publio money, which he objected to. Since this matter had been agitated, he had heard of a number of persons who would bo ready to establish boarding-houses, whioh would give parents an opportunity of choosing. They did not pretend to give religious instruction, so that to establish these homes would be going outside what they proposed to do. They had but little money, and they wanted all that to increase the teaching power of their schools. For these reasons he should oppose the motion.

Mr Hamilton would also oppose the motion because it involved upon the Board of Governors the necessity of undertaking the religious instruction of the students, so that the religious question would at once crop up. He was further opposed to the establishment of boarding-houses on purely mercantile principles, because he thought there would be a loss. If they started this it would be at once entering into competition with the various religious denominations, who would start boarding-houses in connection with the colleges which would be established. They must remember that they did not pretend to give religious instruction, but simply secular teaching, so that he did not see that they ought to take the very heavy responsibility which it was now proposed that they should incur. He should, for these reasons, oppose the motion. Mr Stevens said that he desired to call the attention of the Board to the state of the oase. First, the College committee reported that they recommended the house now occupied by Mr Craig should be appropriated as a boarding house for the pupils of the Boys' High school. The scheme ao suggested was so crude that he with others was of opinion that the oommittee should reconsider the question and bring up a soheme. But this had not been done, though the reference was made to them by the Board. Now the oommittee came to the Board and said that it was the province of the Board to decide this matter, though the Board had distinctly remitted the matter to them to bring up a scheme of a tangible nature. He thought that the proper thing to be done was to remit the matter back again to the committee, and ask them to give the Hoard the information as to the nature of the scheme whioh was requested. So far as he could Bee, they were exactly in the same position as a month ago, when the matter was made an order of reference to the oommittee. The Chairman said the committee thought that the Board should, as a matter of principle, decide whether the boarding houses should be established, end then the soheme of management should be decided upon. Upon this, the oommittee were unanimous.

Mr Tancred diEßented from this. The committee, when he was present, was unanimous that the boarding houses should hot bo decided upon, unless there was substantial safeguards as to the morality of the boarders being oared for.

The Chairman said what he meant was that those members present at the last meeting were unanimous in the recommendations they had brought up. Mr Wakefield said that they were on the horns of a dilemma. The committee would not give a scheme for the management of_ the boarding houses until the Board decided whether the boarding houses Bhould be established, and the Board would not decide whether this should be so unless the committee brought up a scheme. _ He was decidedly opposed to the establishment of these boarding houses, beoause he believed they would be better conducted by private enterprise. [Hear, hear.] Bev. O. Eraser suggested that the committee should let the matter drop. Mr Hamilton said he would desire to move as an amendment—" That it is undesirable that the Board of Governors should undertake the responsibility of establishing boarding houses in conneotion with the Boys' High School." Mr Fereday stated that there were a number of private houses preparing to reoeive the pupils, so that he thought there was no necessity for the Board establishing the boarding houses as staled. The question that the report of the College oommittee that the Board establish boarding houses be adopted, was then put and negatived. The report of the College oommittee was read as follows : The committee recommends the Board to engage an architect to prepare a sketch plan, with an estimate of the coat, of the proposed hall, lecture rooms, Ac, and that Mr Mountfort be appointed architect, to act under the instructions of the college committee. The committee recommends the Board to adopt the proposed time-table for 1881. The committee recommends the following rules for the college library. [Here followed a number of rules.] The committee recommends the Board to sanction a prize of dB2O being given by William Montgomery, Esq., for the preatest excellence in (a) an essay on " The influence of Shakespere en the literature of the first half of the nineteenth century," to be handed in to the Registrar on or before October Ist, 1881 ; (b) an examination on " The Comedies of Shakespore," to be held in October, 1891. The prize will be open to all who attend lectures at Canterbury College during session 1881, provided they pass in any four subjects in the annual pass examination of the college for 1881, and in English in the annual honours examination of the college for 1881. The committee recommends the Board to authorise the committee to provide the necessary furniture and fittings for the Boys' High School. The report as a whole was adopted. On the recommendation of the oommittee that swimming baths and fives oourtß should be constructed at the Boys' High Sohool, Mr Wakefield and Dr. Coward objeoted to tho expenditure. It was agreed to call for tenders. The library committee reported aB followa:

1. The committee recommends the Board that on and after the let January, 1881, the subscription to the circulating library be 15s per annum, or 4a per quarter. 2. The committee recommends the Board that a grant of .£SOO from the School of Technical Science and library; endowment be made to the public library for the year 1831. On the first clause, the Chairman said that the cost of maintenanoe of the library was £llsO per annum, and there were 1370 subscribers, producing £6OO per annum. The number of works in the library was 6500 in the circulating library, and 6300 in the reference library. The sum of £3OO, which bad been granted by the Government to the library, had been struck off, and they could not keep up the library in the way of bringing out new works unless the subscription was increased.

Rev. Mr Fraser suggested that a small sum should be charged for admission to the reading room. Messrs Tancred and Webb thought that the increase of the subscription would tend to a falling off of the subscribers. The latter gentleman advocated that if the price was raised, a reduction for youths should bo made. The clause was after some discussion put and carried, Mr Webb dissenting. Consideration of clauso 2 was postponed. The report of the Museum committee and the report of the conference as to the establishment of a Sohool of Art was read as follows :

The committee having considered all the circumstances connected with the establishment of a School of Art recommend that it be authorised to engage a gentleman to take charge of this department of the College at a salary not exceeding .£IOO.

'lhe conference appointed by the Board, October 25th, to consider the establishment of a School of Art and Technical Science, met on the 22nd November, and the following resolutions were passed:—l. " That itis expedient that the Bsard of Governors of Canterbury College should convey to the Board of Education in writing, the precise nature and scope of the proposed arrangement under which the Board of Education would contribute to the School of Art, also setting out the advantages which the Board of Education are intended to enjoy under the arrangements." 2. "The conference is of opinion that, with a contribution of .£4OO annually from the Board of Education, the Board of Governors of Canterbury College could provide gratuitous instruction in the School of Art for the teachers and pupil teachers under the Educational Board, and also for the pupils of the district schools within a certain radius, of a kind similar to that provided by the Otago Educational Board." On the clauso as regarded tho school of art, the Chairman stated what had been done with respect to the establishment of a school of art, and thought that it would be neceaßary to send to England for a master to take charge of this sohool, or at any rate for the committee to take power so to do, and if anyone could be found here suitable, then they could easily stop proceedings by telegram. Mr Reeves said it seemed to him that it was somewhat assumed that a master would be sent for to England; that he trusted that every effort would be made to see whether a proper person could not be obtained in the colony. He hoped this would be done, because they were now spending publio money, and ought to see that those who were out here should nave a ohance of coming forward for this appointment. The report was adopted. Mr Malet suggested that a sum should be set apart to enable Dr. Yon Haast to visit the Melbourne Exhibition. It was very desirable that they should have the chance of procuring specimens of art, &c, which were so necessary for the formation of the taste of the rising generation. Mr Webb strongly supported the idea. Mr Malet then moved—" That the sum of £2OO be placed at the disposal of the museum committee for Dr. Haast's personal expenses on a visit to the Melbourne Exhibition and purchase of works of art, &0., for the Sohool of Technical Science and the Museum."

Bev. 0. Fraser seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The report of the estates committee was read and adopted. The Board then adjourned.