[borwash] a review OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 35 



After private conference the commissioners found that a decided 

 majority of the council was unfavourable to the idea of union. They 

 therefore placed the resolutions with which they had been furnished, 

 together with a statement prepared by the commissioners, in the hands 

 of Dr. Strachnn the president to be formally presented to the council, 

 and through him solicited a reply. 



These proceedings were reported to the Board of Trustees of Queen's 

 College, on March 1st, 1843, and the commission was continued with 

 power to negotiate with the Government. On the ;3rd of May, they again 

 reported to the hoard; the important items were, that Bishop Strachan 

 had declined to place their resolutions and statement before the Coun- 

 cil of King's College, and that the Government while approving of the 

 principles of the scheme of union expressed the strong conviction " that 

 to the success of the scheme the concurrence and hearty co-operation of 

 the ^lethodist body in this country is absolutely essential." 



'J'his report led to a correspondence of Dr. Liddell, principal of 

 Queen's College with Dr. Ivyerson, president of Victoria College, recit- 

 ing the facts already stated, presenting a scheme of a " college union " 

 in ''one university'' with as mt\ny separate colleges as the wants of the 

 country may require, each college founded on its own charter and with 

 its own go\ernnK'nt, subject to the power or the Provincial University 

 Council which should be paramount in all matters of a general nature as 

 aiïecting the character of the institution as a university. Each college 

 was to be represented on the council, and a principle of distribution of 

 subjects as between the university and the colleges was to be outlined. 

 Dr. Liddell pvocccdcd to set forth the principles which should govern 

 m tln' rormation of a proviîicial^ university ; that all sections of the com- 

 munity should enjoy its advantages, and share in its management; that 

 for tliis the -present charter makes no provision, and that the college is 

 de fado in the hands of the Episcopalians ; and that the present is the 

 cime when this can be most easily remedied and a constitution upon true 

 principles introduced. Dr. Ijiddtdl goes even so far as to suggest a use 

 for the college building at Cobourg, to relieve its trustees of the financial 

 ])urdim which the new proposal would involve. Queen's occupying for 

 the time being, like King's, rented (luarters. had as yet no buildings or 

 property in Kingston. The proposals of Dr. Liddell having been referred 

 by the Board of Trustees of (,)ueen's to the Synod of the Presbyterian 

 Church, were by them unanimously approved, and a petition to the Gov- 

 ernor-in-Council and the I'arliament adopted. Up" to this time the 

 authorities of A'ictoria and of the Methodist Church had taken no action; 

 but Dr. Tjiddell continued his correspondence with Dr. Eyerson. His let- 

 ters have Ijeeii [)reserved among Dr. Pyersou's papers; the replies of Dr. 



