2 1 2 Obstacles to Research at our old Universities. 



several Fellowships have recently been established for 

 the encouragement of students in original investiga- 

 tion. 



If this plan could be carried out in our old Univer- 

 sities it would produce most valuable results, because 

 the governing, wealthy, and influential classes of this 

 nation are chiefly educated at those institutions, and 

 they would then acquire habits of more accurate 

 scientific thought, and some knowledge of the nature 

 and importance of scientific research, and of the 

 essential dependence of national welfare upon it. 



But a great and probably insuperable obstacle exists 

 to the carrying out of such a plan, viz., the wealth 

 possessed by the parents of students. An original re- 

 search cannot be made without considerable industry, 

 and the greatest opponent of industry, especially with 

 young men, is the possession or expectation of wealth. 

 According to college tutors at our old Universities, 

 there is no large class of industrious students at those 

 institutions. The greatest cause of the idleness 

 of the students is parental neglect and the habits 

 of wealthy society. Many parents allow their sons 

 too much money, and over-look too readily their 

 idleness and frivolity ; the young men also know their 

 parents are rich, and act accordingly. Many persons 

 send their sons to those places chiefly to form aristo- 

 cratic acquaintances, and for other purposes than 

 those of educational discipline and learning. The 

 college authorities have also largely acquiesced in the 

 wishes of the parents and students. And in this way 



