AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS. Auckland, August 24.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 397, 28 August 1889, Page 5

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS. Auckland, August 24.

The interesting ceremony of presenting diplomas bo the successful students of the Auckland University College took place yesterday afternoon in the Choral Hall. There va&alargeatterdance. Among.scthose on the platform were Professors Brown, Aldis and Thomas, Bishop Cow ie, iVliss j\J. Coleman, Revs. Runciman and Coates, Messrs Bomne, Francis, Tibbs, Sloman, Adams, McDowell, Ki'-by, and Airey. All the occupants of the p'atfoim woio the gowns of their respective colleges, which adder! greatly to the e fleet.

DEATH OF MR JUSTICE GILLIES, Professor Brown presided, and before making tho presentation said that the diplomas which had been commissioned by the Chancellor of the University to present were first foi warded to the late Mr Justice Gillies, and ariivcd on the day of his death. Had he lived, Asr Gillies wculd have occupied the chair that day. Interest in higher education v. as one of the chief chaiacterKtics of Mi Gilliei, and it remained with him until tho closo of his life. Scaicely a year passed by in which he did not render some service to the cause of education, and on several occasions, such as at the building of the Auckland Museum, and the establishment of the Sinclair-Gillies Scholarships, he proved that he was ready to spend lavge sums of money in the cauae which he had so much at hen» f. His death cast a shadow over the proceedings, which was the more increased because one diploma which had to be presented — and the most honourable amongst them — was destined for bio son.

THE VALUE OF THE DIPLOMASProfessor Brown next referred to the value ot the diploma?. He said that many people thought that they were simply certificates that the recipients had passed satiefnctoiily through the curriculum ab the N"ew Zealand University. He coin ted out that while tLe University did not teach, btill it e*amined the work of the various college?. Ilorefeired to the high standard of success in the University, and said that long ago the Senace decided to have the examinations in England. The method wa3 as follows :— Questions weio forwarded by men of as high standing as the examiners at Oxford, Cambiidge, and London Universities, and the replies of the students of the New Zealand University were returned to them, and on the decision of theso examiners the diplomas were issued. Thug their diplomas could challenge comparison \vi\ih any similar certificate throughout tho world. (Applause). It was a feature of a northern Now Zealander to bs an admh-er of any country but his own. He often heard persons say, " Why not have one central Univeisity for New Zealand 1" But it should be remembered that their College was the only one which brought higher education to the doors of the people.

THE PRESENTATIONS. Professor Brown then presented tho diplomas to the following students : — Edith Mary Adams, B.A. ; M? ry Lilian Hill, B.A. ; Alary Muir Sinclair, B.A. ; and Louisa Durrieu, B.A. All these ladies were handed on to the platform by Bishop Covvie. Thomas Hillier Green was presented with the B.A. diploma, and Px-ofe&sor Brown remarked, " I may say that this student has not only passed as 8.A., bub obtains also the Senior Scholarship of the University, which was in competition with all other students in New Zealand. That was for experimental science. This student is the holder of the (rillies Scholarship." Other diplomas were then presented to Herbert Mason, B.A. (under the regulations of certificated teachers) ; to Hugh Shrewsbury,* B.A. ; and to Sinclair Gillies, 3VJ. A., with honours in chemistry. SPEECH BY BISHOP COWIE. Dr. Cowie next addressed the audience. He remarked that during his trip Home he had been plea&ed to find that New Zealand students were a credit to the country from which they came. They were holding 1 their own both in University examinations and manly sports. Much had been said of late of the state of chronic examination. There was no doubt that many young men and women were apt to forgot the chief | tiling, namely, the cultivation of the mind. It was also said that there was a tendency under the present system for memory to take the place to a great) extent ot the thinking faculties. it was easy to find fault, but it was nob so easy to point out a remedy, it was admitted by all that it was only by competition that tho best

people could be discovered. Unloss bho sfcudenb was asked to do move than he was ablo to do ho would novor do as much as he could. 110 would impress upon them them the motto " Mem sana in corporc sctno.'" Unless they took caro ot tho health of their bodies thoy could nofcoxpecb their minds to romuin strong. Whon at Home he saw Bishop Solwyn's collego, and bho motto there was, il Quit you liko men, bo 3trong," and it would be well for them to adopt it, as peoplo were apt to forget their health during their studies. Bishop Cowie al3O referred to tho fact that tho students at Home gained much by communion with each other in college life, which could not be done in New Zealand, He hoped their students in Auckland would do ail they could to counteract that necessary dofecb in tho preseno system. Lot them remember that tho teaching in tho Collego was not all the learning. Ho also stated that at' Cambridge no one was al'owcd to take a B.A. degree unless they knew something of Wreck. It was not so in Auckland, and ho regretted that many of their students wore unable to road the New Testament in itsoriginallangnage. lie would like bo see moro ot the students take up (Jreok as an optional subject, lie concluded by asking the recipients of degrees to bear in mind that receiving the B.A. deg roe merely meant that they had learned the A.B.C" in education, and that they should continue f-ystomatic study in tho future.

THE WORK OF THE UNIVERSITY. Professor Aklis next gave an addicss. Ho paid that since ho had been in Auckland ib had sometimes happened that he held and expressed opinions which had nob met with univoi\?al acceptance On such occasions he usually notu ed that c ome person — generally, though nob invariably, ashamed of hid name, diyco\orcd that fcho popple of Auckland did nob want a University College. That seemed very much lil.c the sulky schoolboy, who when the game did nob go as ho wished, declares that he will nob play any longer. The Auckland University College was founded by the desire of the Auckland people long- beforo any of the Professors had anything to bo do with the colony. They were induced to leave positions in England as the raosb capable men the colony could secure to make the University College a success. On them tested simply the duty of giving their best energies to tho promotion of the objects for which the College was founded. Nevertheless on the piesenb occasion ib might not be out of place to consider what wero the benefits accruing to bhe community from the existence oi the University in thoir midst. The number of their pupils was a very small proportion of tho community, but ib should be borne in mind that many who had been in the University laught in the public schools, and thus the knowledge gained in the University was spread amongst the people. It was absolutely iiocessary in a country like New Zealand bhab tho highest grade of educabion should be as high as possible in order that the quality of bho lower should be sound and valuable, for tho influence of the highest stratum permeated down to the lowe3t. It was nob so much the matter that was taught as the manner of teaching, not so much the facts as principles which underlay the treatment of those facts by specialists, which constituted the element which was valuable in all education Professor Aldis also pointed out that tho University had a mission out=ido of oidinary beaching and that the Professors wei c referees in relation to a great \ariety of matters, lie then spoke at leugth upon the work done by each Professor in his special department, all of which tended to the culture of bhe people In concluding, he urged upon the students of bhe College to lcmember that ib it was by their influence bhab the of bhe University would be shown ; that the device of B.A. or M. A. did not comprehend aU knowledge- that tho college course was but tho gatewaj' of the paradise of knowledge. Let them remember wherever they went that the honour of Alma Mater lay in thoir hands, on them and their followers depended whether their University should grow up to rival the famous seats of learning of old and become a potent factor in the prosperity of the nation, or sink into contempt as a mere reposiboty of useless cram. Professor Aldis concluded by reciting a portion of that beautiful composition of Longfellow, " All aie Architects of Fate." This tci initiated the ceremony.