STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL. 355 



argument to debar the Council from their right to consider all I860. 

 circumstances likely to affect a Professor's teaching. 



We are assured on very good authority, that when the first 

 appointment to the Professorship of Mental Philosophy was to be 

 made in the College, there were two instances of eminent 

 ministers who thought of offering themselves as candidates for 

 the office, but were withheld by the conviction at which they 

 themselves arrived, after further consideration, that it would not 

 be consistent with the duty of the Council to appoint them. 1 



The preceding argument is perfectly general ; but in the 

 particular case of Mr. Martineau there is one point of another 

 kind which deserves consideration. No one will question that 

 the authorities of our College are bound by the strongest obliga- 

 tions to avoid carefully any act by which they wo aid induce our 

 students, or even put facilities in their way, to submit themselves 

 to one form of religious teaching rather than another. Mr. 

 Martineau is described as ' Professor of Mental, Moral, and Reli- 

 gious Philosophy ' in Manchester New College ; and we have every 

 reason to believe that he discharges faithfully, zealously, and 

 ably the duties of his office. In his letter of application for the 

 Professorship he stated that, if he were appointed, he should 

 transfer his lectures on logic and mental philosophy entirely to 

 University College. Moral philosophy is not included in the 

 duties of our Professorship. We may fairly conclude, therefore, 

 that, if Mr. Martineau had been appointed, he would have 

 lectured on logic and mental philosophy in University College, 

 and would have continued to lecture on moral and religious 

 philosophy in the institution called Manchester New College, all 

 the business of which is done in the building of University Hall, 

 which is immediately contiguous to the College. A very natural 

 consequence would have been, that students who were attracted 

 by his lectures in the College would have been led to attend the 

 further part of his course in the Hall. At present, if any 

 students seek the instruction of Mr. Martineau, they are at 

 perfect liberty to do so, but the College is in no way responsible. 



The Council has been attacked for having proceeded to elect 

 Mr. Croom Robertson to the vacant chair at the same meeting 

 at which they received the requisition for a Special General 

 Meeting, without waiting for the answer to their consultation of 



1 This statement would have had more force if substantiated by 

 particulars. According to my recollection these gentlemen had other 

 reasons for not coming forward. S. E. DE M. 



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