Universities in the Xetherla/ids. — Standard Heights. 237 



UNIVERSITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS; 



The Report just laid before the States General of the King- 

 dom of the Netherlands by the Minister of Public Instruction, 

 <rives the following account of the present state of the Univer- 

 sities: — " At Louvaine the most laudable efforts are made to 

 form good philologists, who may one day be the ornament of 

 the Athenees and Colleges in which they may be placed. The 

 clinical department of midwifery has received a very useful 

 extension. At Liege they apply themselves particularly to 

 modern history under a political point of view. The study of 

 the law also, as well as other branches of science, is very 

 flourishing. The legal part of medical education is attended 

 to with great care. At Ghent nothing is neglected, which 

 can tend to unite the cultivation of the fine arts and the sci- 

 ences. The mathematical instruction is excellent; several 

 excellent scholars have already left the schools. At Leyden, 

 the instruction preserves its ancient reputation, and Oriental 

 literature is there making great progress. At Utrecht the 

 study of Greek and Latin is the favourite pursuit; and at 

 Groningen, no expense is spared to improve the Clinical 

 Hospital, and to form a brilliant Academy." At the end of 

 the Report, the number of Students in the six Universities of 

 the Kingdom is given, and in November they amounted to 

 2,127; 1,058 belonging to the Southern Provinces, and 1,069 

 to the Northern. 



CABINET OF STANDARD WEIGHTS. 



The commercial and scientific world will learn with satis- 

 faction that the standard weights of foreign countries, which 

 were some time since transmitted to the British Government, 

 and compared with English Standards, have been lately de- 

 posited at the London Mint, in a commodious cabinet con- 

 structed for the purpose, where they are to be carefully pre- 

 served for permanent reference. 



This National collection is the first of the kind ever made 

 on a great scale, though long considered a desideratum. Its 

 utility, which has been already extensively proved, may be 

 further experienced when any of the standards in use, whether 

 English or Foreign, shall become worn or impaired. 



The following account of this important collection is in- 

 scribed on the cabinet: — 



" The foreign weights here deposited, having been duly 

 verified, were transmitted to London, in the year 1818, by the 

 British Consuls abroad, in pursuance of a general plan, for 

 comparing the weights, measures, and moneys of all trading 

 countries, hv official experiments on verified standards. 



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