102 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



be a competition in intellect — "Most of the grand discoveries, which 

 have contributed so largely to the advancement of the age have 

 been," he says, "the fruits of purely theoretical investigations. Theo- 

 retical science is in fact the basis of all progress. It is the life blood 

 of practice, the prime mover, the fire which generates the steam." 



When Robb, Gray and Brydone-Jack made a beginning along the 

 lines of practical science it was indeed the day of small things at old 

 King's College, but they made at least a beginning. And Dr. Jack 

 was a man of vision. In one of his Encœnial addresses he observes: — 



"To render the University popular and attractive it must be able to show that 

 it is progressive. It must be provided with all the best modern appliances for 

 rendering its course of study effective and interesting. Its apparatus, library, 

 museum and laboratory must receive the additions which from time to time become 

 necessary. Its course of study must also be made more varied and complete to 

 keep pace with the requirements of the age. The grand object to be attained is the 

 widening of the sphere of education imparted, the bringing within the scope of 

 University instruction every branch of human knowledge, and the making of ijt 

 more thorough, searching and progressive. It should be the ambition of every 

 up-to-date University to make provision for the endowment of scientific research, 

 so that men able and willing to devote their time and talents to original investiga- 

 tions and to the prosecution of fresh discoveries in the branches of study in which 

 they have become famous may meet with due encouragement. I do not presume 

 for an instant to compare this University with any of the wealthy and long-established 

 institutions to which I have referred. With us it is .still the day of small things, 

 and for many years we must be content to follow afar off, humbly and laboriously 

 in their footsteps. But from all that has been said, I think it will be evident that 

 an endowment, liberal and ever-increasing with the requirements of the times, 

 is an absolute necessity for the maintenance of even a moderately equipped institution 

 for the higher education." v 



His ideal is to make the University a place of resort where men of 

 learning and ability may be assisted in research by eminent teachers, 

 extensive libraries, museums, laboratories, etc. He deems it a grave 

 error needlessly to multiply degree-conferring institutions in a country 

 comparatively poor and with a sparse and toiling population. The 

 funds which would barely sustain one in a tolerable state of efficiency, 

 and insure to it some degree of reputation, are liable to be frittered 

 away among as many colleges as there are denominations seeking 

 for aid until all are reduced to a condition of feebleness. 



During the first twenty years of Dr. Brydone-Jack's residence in 

 New Brunswick there was a protracted and bitter controversy between 

 the college council and the provincial legislature. The origin of the 

 controversy was identical in the cases of King's College, Nova Scotia; 

 Kings College, Toronto, and King's College, Fredericton, namely the 

 attempt to perpetuate an old-world charter in a new country, in w^hich 

 there is no established church and where the people are becoming 



