NA TURE 



225 



THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1876 



THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 

 I. 



WE have already alluded to a recent movement for 

 procuring a University Charter for the Owens 

 College, Manchester. While this took its origin in the 

 teaching stafif of the college, it has now, we believe, 

 spread beyond these limits, and is at present engaging 

 the earnest attention of the governing body of that institu- 

 tion. A pamphlet, drawn up by the members of the senate, 

 and embodying their views, has likewise been sent to some 

 of the most eminent men of the country, and replies have 

 been received on the whole decidedly favourable to the 

 object. 



Under these circumstances we may be pardoned an 

 attempt to discuss, however imperfectly, the present state 

 of the higher education of this country, and to point out 

 in what direction, and according to what principles, an 

 improvement of the system may, in our opinion, most 

 properly be brought about. 



We shall therefore begin by a definition. Let it be 

 understood that when we use the word University, we 

 mean an institution in which, as far as training is con- 

 cerned, the higher education of the whole man is contem- 

 plated. Now this means more than mere intellectual 

 training — far more than mere intellectual instruction — for 

 it means such a training as will turn out a man of high 

 cultivation in all his powers — one able to take a leading 

 part in the progress of his race. Such a cultivation has a 

 four-fold aspect, moral, intellectual, social, physical. It 

 may perhaps be giving undue prominence to this latter 

 element, to insist upon the neighbourhood of a consider- 

 able river as a sine qua iion in founding a University, but 

 this is only an extreme expression of the views enter- 

 tained, we doubt not, by the authorities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge, that a University should contemplate the 

 physical training of its undergraduates, as well as 

 what we call training in its higher forms. If these 

 be the true functions of a University, it is almost 

 superfluous to say that such an institution, in common 

 with everything possessing vitality, must be constantly 

 reforming itself, so as to adapt its training to the ever- 

 varying and ever-advancing requirements of the age; 

 and it is most certainly the part of a wise Government to 

 consider how far the present institutions of our country 

 meet its educational wants, and if they do not, to consider 

 whether they cannot with propriety do something to 

 supply these legitimate requirements. 



Now this at once leads us to ask in the first place. What 

 are the most distinguishing characteristics of the present 

 age, or rather, perhaps, in order to limit our inquiry, of 

 the British citizen of the age? what are, in fine, the 

 essential conditions which the statesman must not ignore, 

 but by which he must consent to be guided in all his 

 attempts to legislate on the question ? 



In the first place, he cannot ignore what may be termed 

 the religious difficulty. Perhaps, roughly speaking, about 

 half the inhabitants of the country may be regarded as 

 attached more or less to the Church of England, while the 

 other half differ more or less widely from the tenets of that 

 Vol, XIV.— No. 350 



Church. Here it is evident that this difference of opinion 

 does not imply any want of interest in religion, but the very 

 reverse. What it does indicate is the line that must be 

 pursued in all future legislation on the subject. The 

 statesman must deal with men as they are, and in conse- 

 quence of this difference he cannot afford, and indeed he 

 will not attempt, to place the higher education of the 

 country in the hands of one religious body, however 

 powerful, whether this be the Church of England on 'the 

 one hand or the positivists on the other. Such a policy 

 may have been possible, perhaps even desirable, a couple 

 of centuries ago, but it is neither possible nor desirable 

 now. 



In the next place, the statesman cannot ignore the 

 fact that certain branches of knowledge and their appli- 

 cations have developed of late years in a very wonderful 

 manner, so as almost to fix a new epoch in the progress 

 of our race. The present is eminently the scientific age 

 of the world. 



Again this wonderful progress of scientific knowledge 

 has added greatly to the wealth of the nation, especially 

 in its larger centres of industry, and there is in conse- 

 quence a very persistent and most praiseworthy cry for 

 increased facilities for higher cultivation. Nor is this cry 

 limited to scientific culture alone, in which case it would 

 be less praiseworthy ; but it embraces general cultivation, 

 having, however, especial reference to these recently- 

 developed branches of knowledge which have made our 

 great cities what they are, and in which progress is neces- 

 sary to a continuance of their well-being. 



Now these inevitable conditions are not merely destined 

 to regulate all future steps that may be taken for the 

 spread of higher education, but they have already 

 modified the position of the present institutions of our 

 country, and besides this they are even now deter- 

 mining the action of Government in a variety of ways. 

 The increased endowment of research, the loan collec- 

 tion of scientific instruments, and other developments 

 which these will inevitably bring about, are indications 

 that our present rulers are very much alive to the true 

 welfare of the country. We are, however, here engaged 

 rather with the future of the higher education, and we 

 shall now show in what manner the principles we have 

 dwelt upon have already modified our existing Uni- 

 versities. 



To make this clear, let us begin by a brief description 

 of the chief Universities of England and Scotland, and 

 for this purpose we may confine ourselves to the two 

 great English Universities, the four Scotch Universities, 

 and the University of London. 



The two great English Universities have come down to 

 us from a time when the people of England practically 

 thought aUke on religious matters. Until recently these 

 institutions bore all the marks of 'this ancient unity, inas- 

 much as they only gave their degrees and Fellowships to 

 members of the Church of England. But it is well known 

 that by recent enactments, not only degrees, but Fellow- 

 ships may be held by those who are not members of the 

 national Church. Nevertheless, while open to all, these 

 Universities yet retain an especial relation to the Church 

 of England, and we believe there is no widespread wish 

 to see the connection violently altered. 



In many respects these Universities are institutions 



