HOW TO BE ENCOURAGED BY GOVERNMENT. 385 



science of this country on a firm and prosperous 

 basis, relates to our universities, and to the establish- 

 ment of Regius Professorships in those branches of 

 physical science wherein there is at present no sort 

 of instruction. The important advantages which 

 would result from this measure have already been 

 sufficiently dwelt upon. At present, it seems to be 

 the general opinion, that our government (so far 

 from incurring any expense by the annual grant of 

 2000/. made by the nation for " defraying the 

 salaries of professors in the universities of Oxford 

 and Cambridge" ) receives the sums back again into 

 the treasury in the shape of taxes of the most odious 

 description, inasmuch as they are extorted, not 

 indeed by a sale of honours, but by taxing those who 

 achieve honours ; those, in fact, who proceed with 

 credit through an expensive term of years of col- 

 legiate discipline, and are therefore admitted to their 

 degrees, so that these fees become a direct tax upon 

 learning*, in those very establishments avowedly 

 made for its encouragement ! What is given by the 

 government with one hand, is taken back, with more 

 than usurious interest, by the other. The peculiarly 

 oppressive nature of these exactions have recently 

 called forth much public complaint, and they are 

 altogether so opposed to the spirit of the age, that 

 we think the subject only requires to be mentioned 

 in parliament, to give our present ministers an op- 



* Every Bachelor of Arts pays to the government three, 

 and every Master of Arts six guineas on taking his degrees. 

 Different sums, varying in amount, are imposed on other de- 

 grees. See Appendix. 



c c 



