A.—2.

14

No. 12. (New Zealand, No. 31.) Sir,— Downing Street, 22nd May, 1884. I am directed by the Secretary of State to transmit to you, for your information and guidance, the documents specified in the annexed Schedule. I have, &c. ROBERT G. W. HERBERT, The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand, Bate. Description of Document. 21st May. Copy of letter from the Eegistrar of London University, forwarding packets of questions for the ensuing Matriculation Examination.

Enclosure. The Eegistrar, University of London, to Sir E. G. W. Herbert. Sir, — University of London, Burlington Gardens, W., May 21, 1884. In compliance with applications received from the Eector of the Eoyal College, Mauritius, from the Governor of Ceylon, and the Governor of Tasmania, I have the honour to forward to you herewith three sealed packets containing a supply of questions for the ensuing Matriculation Examination of this University, which is to be held at Port Louis, at Colombo, and at Hobarton, under the supervision of Sub-Examiners appointed by the respective Governors of those islands. Also, in conformity with the practice of previous years, I forward a sealed packet of questions for the same examination to be held at St. John's, Newfoundland ; seven similar packets for examinations to be held .simultaneously at Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, and Fredericton ; and four similar packets for examinations to be held in New Zealand at one or more centres to be named by the Governor of the Colony. ■ It,is an indispensable condition of holding these examinations that the Sub-Examiners to superintend them should also be appointed by the Governors. The results of the examinations in Canada and New Zealand will be communicated to the Gilchrist Trustees, with a view to the award to the most successful candidate, in each case, of the Gilchrist Scholarship allotted to each of those two Colonies ; but it should be made clear to the colonial authorities that, on the one hand, the University takes no further part in such award; and that, on the other hand, the Gilchrist Trustees have no control whatever over the examinations. I may remark that it has been intimated to me, by the Secretary to the Gilchrist Trust, that the New Zealand scholarship is to be hereafter attached to the January Matriculation Examination ; and that the next scholarship will be open for competition in. January, 1887. With each packet I enclose —(1.) Conditions on which colonial examinations are held; (2.) Three copies of the regulations relating to the Matriculation Examination ; (3.) A copy of the instructions to the Sub-Examiner in charge of the examination ; (4.) A sheet from the register of the University, on which the Sub-Examiner will cause each candidate to make the entries prescribed in the instructions, and which must be returned to me, with the answers of the candidates ; (5.) A supply of admission cards; (6.) A pattern answer-book, to which it is desired that the books used at the examination may be made to conform as nearly as may be found practicable; and (7.) (In the Canadian and New Zealand packets only) A copy of the conditions of the Gilchrist Scholarships. It is requested that these packets of questions may be despatched without fail as follows : —The packet for Mauritius, by the mail of June 2nd ; that for Colombo, by the mail of May 30th; that for Tasmania, by the mail of May 23rd ; that for Newfoundland, by the mail of June 3rd; those for Canada, by the mail of May 22nd or 29th ; and those for New Zealand, by the mail of the 22nd instant. The Matriculation Examination will commence in this country on the 16th of June ; and it is requested that the examinations in Newfoundland and Canada may commence on the same day. But, as the packets for the other centres will not have reached their destination by that date, it is requested that the earliest possible day after their arrival may be appointed for the commencement of the examination. In New Zealand, moreover, if the examination is held at more than one centre, care should be taken that it commences at all the centres at the same time. In consequence of oversights on the part of Sub-Examiners that have recently occurred, I have to request that the attention of those gentlemen may be directed to the " instruction " requiring them to exact from every candidate, before admission to the examination, the fee specified in the regulations. As these examinations are h«ld solely for the benefit of the several Colonies, it is expected that the small charges for the requisite stationery will be borne by the colonial funds. I am to request .you to be good enough to cause it to be made known at each centre that all the candidates who pass the examination thereby become members of this University, and that, having once passed, they cannot again present themselves for matriculation,