77

H.—l

In July last you wrote to me, stating that you intended to take up a section of the B.A. examination in January. I replied to you to the effect that you were not an undergraduate of this University, and could not, therefore, come up without matriculation and the keeping of the necessary terms. Shortly afterwards Professor Macgregor wrote stating that you had matriculated at Dunedin in 1873, but that, through an error of the Registrar of the University of Otago, your name did not appear in the list: that since then you had kept two years' terms at the University of Otago. My reply was that, as you had matriculated in 1873, previous to the affiliation of the University of Otago to this University, you appeared to come under the provisions of Section XI. of the Regulation specifying terms to be kept, &c, for the B.A. degree: that is, that you should proceed to your degree in the same manner as Messrs. Hay and Williamson —by passing the examinations of the University of Otago. To this letter I received no reply. In November Professor Macgregor forwarded to me the class lists, &c, of the annual examination of the University of Otago, and, without reference to my former letters, stated that you intended to present yourself at the January examination. I requested him to give me some information as to your status, and on 24th December I repeated to him the statement in my letter of July —viz., that you would have to proceed to your degree in the same manner as Messrs. Hay and Williamson have done. In the forthcoming issue of the Calendar your name (owing to the explanation of Professor Macgregor) will appear as having kept two years' terms. Messrs. Blackie and Hirsch are in a similar position to yours, and the provisions of Section XI. of the Regulation respecting the B.A. degree apply to you as they apply to them: that is, you will have, in order to obtain your degree, to pass the examinations, not of this University, but of the University of Otago. You cannot, therefore, take up a section of the examination this month, as you have proposed. I have, &c, W. M. Maskell, D. White, Esq. Registrar. 21. Professor Macgregor to the Registrar. Sie, — University of Otago, 7th January, 1878. I have ascertained from Mr. D. White, who called on me this morning, that you wrote me a letter dated 24th December, which I have never received. In these circumstances, I shall feel much obliged if you would send me a copy of that letter, and I would suggest, on behalf of the Professorial Board, that in the meantime Mr. White be allowed to proceed to the examination pending the decision of the Senate on his claims. Should the Chancellor consider this a reasonable request, it will prevent what appears to us a great injustice to a very deserving student, and give us time to lay before him our interpretation of Section XX, on which the whole matter turns. I have, &c, D. Macgeegoe, The Registrar, University of New Zealand. Chairman of the Professorial Board. 22. The Reqistrar to Professor Macgregor. Sie, — University of New Zealand, Christchurch, 11th January, 1878. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant. I enclose to you herewith a copy of my letter to you of 24th December, the original of which must in some way have miscarried in the post. With regard to Mr. White, I will lay your request before the Chancellor, and acquaint you with his decision in a day or two. I have, &c, W. M. Maskell, Professor Macgregor. Registrar. 23. The Registrar to Professor Maegregor. Sie, — University of New Zealand, Christchurch, 16th January, 1878. In continuation of my letter to you of the 11th instant, I am directed by the Chancellor to state that, according to your request, Mr. D. White may be examined provisionally—that is, without prejudice to any action that the Senate may see fit to take. lam therefore posting to-day to the supervisor in Dunedin examination papers for Mr. White in the subjects which he has proposed to take up —namely, English, general history, political economy, and mental science. I have, &c, W. M. Maskell, Professor Macgregor. Registrar. 24. The Registrar to Mr White. Sie, — University of New Zealand, Christchurch, 16th January, 1878. I have the honour to inform you that the Chancellor has agreed to permit you to be examined provisionally—that is, without prejudice to any action which the Senate at its approaching session may take in your case. Tour subjects, as intimated in your letter of 17th July, 1877, are English, general history, political economy, and mental science, for the B.A. degree and senior scholarship. 1 have, &c, W. M. Maskell, D. White, Esq. Registrar. 25. Professor Macgregor to the Chancellor. Sie, — University of Otago, 19th February, 1878. I have the honour, on behalf of the Professorial Board, to submit to you the following considerations in the case of Mr. D. White:— When this College was affiliated to the New Zealand University it was distinctly understood by us, and we think also by the Senate, that our students were at liberty to come under the new Regulations then adopted if they desired to do so. Indeed, it must be within your recollection that we had some difficulty to get their right to do otherwise admitted —their rijjht, that is, to graduate in accordance with the conditions under which they matriculated. This concession (embodied in Section XI. of Regulations, specifying terms, &c.) we have always regarded as a privilege which good faith required