H.—No. 2

8

NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

TmiBSDAY, 21st Sepxembee, 1871. The Joint Committee met pursuant to summons. Legislative Council. House of Representatives. Hon. Dr. Buchanan, Hon. Mr. Fox, Hon. Mr. Sewell, Mr. Macandrew, Hon. Mr. Waterhouse. Mr. McGillivray, Mr. Reynolds, Hon. Mr. Stafford. The Hon. Major Eichardson, M.L.C., Chairman. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The Hon. Major Eichardson read to the Committee the following Memorandum from himself as the Chancellor of the University of Otago ; and, on the motion of Mr. Macandrew, it was ordered to be entered in the minutes : — " The Memorandum of the Chancellor of the New Zealand University, which was received by me when in the Chair at the last meeting of the Joint Committee, makes it necessary that I should ask the Committee to allow me, as one of the Conference referred to, and as Chancellor of the University of Otago, to make a few remarks, in order that the views of both parties may be on the records of the Committee. " I wish to state that the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago viewed the Memorandum, which had been referred to them for the purpose of drawing up instructions to the draftsman, as the rough notes of their decisions, to be read in connection with their previous consultations, which expressed the whole mind of the parties in the Conference. They therefore regarded the proposed curriculum as a vital part of the subject. " They considered that, if the University of Otago should become a College, they might reasonably embody in the Act of Amalgamation a proviso that the curriculum of affiliated Colleges should not be below theirs, otherwise its status would be still further lowered —perhaps to that of existing Grammar Schools. "I would remark, that if there is no precedent for fixing in an Act the minimum of required studies, which I am not prepared to allow, there may not be a precedent of an University, with a comparatively complete staff of Professors, considerable endowments, and buildings, voluntarily abdicating its powers and status, in order to secure to the community the increased advantages resulting from a combination of educational machinery and power. " J. EICHAKDSOIf, " Chancellor of the University of Otago." On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse it was resolved, That the Government be requested to prepare and introduce into Parliament a Bill in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee. And it was ordered that the Chairman of the Committee of the Legislative Council, and of the House of Representatives respectively, be requested to bring up a Eeport to each House,, embodying the above Eesolutions. The Joint Committee adjourned.