134 REMINISCENCES OF 



the "proposed religious teaching in the Owen's 

 " College be in accordance with the will and inten- 

 " tion of its founder," and it was resolved that a 

 deputation should be sent to the trustees on the 

 subject. This was done on April 18, when strong 

 objections were urged by the deputation to the views 

 entertained by the trustees. On May 18, a counter 

 deputation of Churchmen urged the trustees to 

 adopt the teaching of theology in the college. But 

 the question now assumed a legal aspect ; a " case " 

 was submitted to two legal gentlemen, who decided 

 in favour of the trustees. But the method finally 

 adopted by these gentlemen was a very harmless 

 one ; it was that a class should be established for the 

 study of the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and a 

 similar one for the Greek of the New ; besides 

 which, a course of lectures was to be delivered by 

 the Principal on the " Influence of Religion in Rela- 

 " tion to the Life of the Scholar." 



The appointment of the various professors now 

 proceeded gradually. Dr. A. J. Scott was elected to 

 the Principalship on October 23, 1850, Mr. Green- 

 wood to the Classical Chair on November 19 of 

 the same year. 



Contemporaneously with this active college pre- 

 paration Manchester townsmen were busied in dis- 

 cussing the advantages of a Free Library. Being 

 myself a member of this committee, I of course 

 attended its meetings. Whilst sitting at one of them, 

 a refined, delicate-looking young man entered the 



