NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4356, 6 March 1875, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

The following are the results of meetings of the Council of the. New .Zealand. University, held during the present week : ■ Monday, March 1. The members present were the Vice-Chan-cellor, in the chair ; the lion. W. Stokes, Rev, W. Johnston, Mr. W. .Rolleston, Hr. Gisborne, Jlev. J. C. Andrew, Rev. Dr. Stuart, and the ...Bo’n. Dr. Grace. • Xhe Chancellor’s report on the action taken \byhim Muring the past year was received and read, and on the motion of the Rev. Dr. Stuart was ordered, to be printed. , A memorial was received from the Professors of the University of Otago and the Canterbury College, regarding suggested improvements in the University work. Some other business of an unimportant character was transacted, and the Council adjourned. Tuesday, March 2. The sitting members wore occupied m a discussion regarding endowments for the University, in the provinces of Taranaki and Auckland. On the motion of Mr. Rolleston, seconded by Dr. Stuart, theSenateresolved itself into acommittee, to consider the proposal embodied in the memorial from the Professors of the University of Otago and the Canterbury College. Progress was reported, and the Council adjourned. Wednesday, March 3. The election of Chancellor and Vice-Chan-cellor was proceeded with, and on the motion of Mr. Stokes, seconded by Mr. Rolleston,Mr. H. J. Tancred was elected Chancellor of the University for a period of five years. Mr. Hugh Carleton was elected Vice-Chan-cellor for a similar period. A letter was read from Mr. Eitzherbert, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the "Wellington College, referring to correspondence with the syndicate of the Cambridge University local examinations. The letter was ordered to be considered on Monday next. On the motion of Mr. Gisborne, the following resolution was passed : —“ That a respectful application be made to the Colonial Government representing the desirability of the immediate issue of a proclamation by the Governor, required by the second paragraph of the 30th section of the New Zealand Univer-

sity Act, 1874, defining the block of land in Taranaki, consisting of 10,000 acres, taken under the New Zealand Settlements Act, and referred to in the schedule to the University Endowment Act, 1868.” Ad tandem, degrees were granted to T. D. Triphook, A. Ormsby, J. W. Davis, T. B. Whitton, Rev. G. Brown, Rev. J. M. Sutherland, Rev. M. Watt, Rev. Alex. Greig, Rev. J. McC’osh Smith, Rev. Alex. Blake, Rev. J. Skinner, Rev. T. Eoseby, Rev. J. Henry, Dr. Turnbull, Rev. W. Johnston, Rev. J. Copeland, Dr. Symes, W. D. Edge, C. B. Izard, Rev. S. Edgar, Kenneth Wilson, Rev. F. G. Brittan, Rev. W. H. West, J. H. Shaw, Rev. H. P. Cox. On the application of G. F. Ritso, B.A, University of Rochester, U.S.A., for admission to the ad eundem degree of 8.A., it was decided that the Senate had no power to grant the application. No action waa taken regarding the application of P. Doyle, Esq., postponed from hist session of the Council. In the case of J. H. Shaw, Esq., it was moved by Mr. Gisborne, seconded by Dr. Stuart, and resolved, “ That in regard to the time of putting in the application, and under the special cix-cumstances of the case, the application he received.” The Council went into committee to consider- the suggestions contained in the report of the Chancellor, and the changes contained in the regulations and statutes which will be rendered necessary by the repeal of the New Zealand University Act, 1870. After a short discussion the Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. It was moved by Mr. Gisborne, seconded by Mr. Rolleston, and resolved : 1. That from public documents furnished by the Colonial Government to the Senate of the New Zealand University, it appears,— (a.) That in June, 1869, the Resident Minister at Auckland stated that he had set" apart and withdrawn from sale, as an; endowment for a colonial university, the following amongst other blocks of land(G. No. 8, page 7, Appendix to Journals House of Representatives, 871): — WAIKATO DISTRICT. Parish of Taupiri ... 10,000 acres. „ Karamu ... 10,000 „ OPATIKI DISTRICT. "Parish of Waimana... 10,000 „ (b.) That the University Endowment Act, 1868, validates the reservation, for, endow- ' ‘ment of a colonial university, to be designated by; the General Assembly, of certain lands described in the schedule to, such Act, amongst which is included 10,000 acres of confiscated lands in the province of Auckland. (c.) That by notice dated January 8, ■ 1873 (published in the New Zealand , Gazette, 9th January, . 1873, p. 11),' the Hon. John Hall, Colonial Secretary, "reserves under the .New Zealand Settlements Acts, as endowment for the University of New Zealand, as constituted by the Ne.w Zealand University Act, 1870,. three blocks of confiscated . land, containing each 10,000 acres, the same as those stated by the Resident ■ Minister at Auckland in 1869 to have, ■ and have been, set apart as an endowment for a colonial university. fd.) That , the New Zealand University Act, 1871, sec.. 35, enables. the Governor in Council to make regulations for placing ■ to'a separate account the proceeds from all lands within any province otherthanOtago, reserved under the University Endowment . ■ ; Act, 1868, or any other Act, for the purposes of a colonial university, and enacts that )such proceeds and the proceeds from the, investment thereof, after the .payment of the expenses for the management of such lands, shall be dealt with for promoting ; higher education in the respective provinces in which such reserves are situate, as the General Assembly may from time to time determine. (e.) That a notice signed by the Hon. Dr. Pollen " for the Secretary for Crown Lands, dated, Ist September, 1874 (one day after the date of. the royal assent to the Act just above referred to), and published in the New Zealand Gazette, 3rd September, 1874, p. 597, notified that on . grounds of error and want of authority of " law the aforesaid notice of the Hon. J. Hall, Colonial Secretary, was absolutely cancelled. (f.) That the opinion of the Attorney-Gene-ral furnished to the New Zealand University on the 15th April, 1874 —(H. 3a p. 2, App. to Journals, 11. of R., 1874) —states that it is clear from official correspondence and other evidence that there was no in- • tention to treat these sections of land otherwise than as reserves under the University Endowment Act, 1868, but that the notice was illegal because it was net a proclamation by the Governor under the Confiscated Land Act, 1867, and because the existing university waa endowed, and not such university as should thereafter be expressly named by the Legislature as the object of their endowment. The At-torney-General also states his opinion that while no valid reserve has been made

of two of the. blocks for any university, there is a clear intention as to these two ■ to reserve them for the same university, „ which shall be declared to be the

, object of the reserves made under the University Endowment Act, 1868, and that” da to those two and the third specified in the schedule to the Endowment Act, 1808, the ‘existing university had no claim. He also states that under the New Zealand Settlements Acts the withdrawal of "a reserve or a'change of the purpose thereof must be made, if made at all, by the Governor in. Council

i!. That a careful consideration of the foregoing facts shows the clear intention of the ■ Government to reserve two of the blocks in question as an endowment for a colonial university, or, in other words,-to add them to the reserves made under the University Endowment Act, 1868, and that the third block, or, if not that actual block, another block of 10,000 acres, is expressly reserved by that Act,

3. That the New Zealand University Act, of 1872, points out the course to be observed with reference to reserves made under the University Endowment Act, 1868, with a view to the preservation of these lands as educational endowments within the province within which they are made. 4. That the Senate of the New Zealand University, as the guardian of educational interests, and intimately connected as it has been with the reservation of these lands and the Acts relating to them, respectfully urges _on the Government the necessity of adopting the course referred to before the alienation of these lauds can render that course impossible. The Vice Chancellor was directed to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the Colonial Secretary. On the motion of Mr. Gisborne, seconded by the Hon. Mr. Stokes, it was resolved, — “ That in addition to the endowments of land referred to in the resolutions passed this day by the Senate of the New Zealand University, the enclosure to the letter, dated. 30th June, 1871, from the Colonial Secretary, to the Chairman of the Council of the University, shows that there are other blocks of land (including one of 20,000 acres in the distinct of Tauranga, in the province of Auckland) in different provinces, which are officially stated to have been, or promised to be, reserved as endowments for a colonial university. That these lands reserved, or promised to be reserved, fairly come within the category of reserves under the University Endowment Act, 1863, or any, other Act for the purposes of a colonial university, and are subject to the New Zealand University Act, 1871, that the proceeds thereof, after" the payment of the management thereof, shall be dealt with for promoting higher education in the respective provinces in which such reserves. are situate, in such manner as the General Assembly may from time to time determine. That the Senate would respectfully urge the Colonial Government to take immediate steps so to secure these lands, that the educational trust thus imposed on them by law may be duly fulfilled.”

Mr. Rolleston moved, and Mr. Stokes seconded the following resolution, which was carried :—“ That the final examination, as provided for by the Otago University, of certain students who are about to complete their course in that university, who matriculated previous" to the affiliation of the said university, be taken as the examination for a B.A. degree to be granted by the New Zealand University on the passing of such examination, anything in the statutes and regulations of the New Zealand University to the contrary notwithstanding ; and that for this pm-pose the examiners be appointed by the Chancellor, on the recommendation of the Otago University.”

It was ox-dered. that the above resolution be embodied in a regulation. The Council adjourned. Thursday, March 4.

The Council was in committee all day on the Chancellor’s report, and the memorial of the Canterbury and Otago professors.