44 Research discouraged at our Universities. 



these young men supplies them with attractions 

 which decoy them from industrious study, and the 

 wishes of the parents and students have been largely 

 acquiesced in by the tutors and college authorities. 

 At our old Universities also, physical and chemical 

 knowledge is very much less rewarded than some 

 other subjects, though latterly a considerable im- 

 provement has been made in this respect, but even 

 now there is not a University in the kingdom in 

 which a knowledge in scientific research is necessary 

 in order to obtain the highest scientific honour.* In 

 these various ways physical and chemical science has 

 been kept very low in our chief seats of learning; 

 and scientific research is greatly neglected by the 

 \ governing authorities. 



It is reasonable to suppose that Universities should 

 be fountains of new theoretical scientific knowledge, 

 as well as be the disseminators of it, and that they 

 (especially the old ones with their rich endowments) 

 would be certain to promote scientific research, as 

 being especially a part of their functions ; but such 

 is not the case. Our old Universities have not estab- 

 lished any professorships of original research ; they 

 make no payment for such labour, nor reimburse any 

 expenditure incurred in such occupation, and afford 

 but little facility for the prosecution of pure scientific 

 inquiry. Further, they discourage scientific dis- 

 covery by giving the greatest emoluments, and the 



* The Victoria University has recently become a partial exception to 

 this statement, 



