December 18, 1902] 



NA TURE 



151 



known processes. This I hold to be a radically vicious hypo- 

 thesis, not merely because it is unverifiible (lor, in spite of the 

 dictum of J. S. Mill, that appears to be an insufficient ground 

 for condemnation), but (l) because it invokes an agency of an 

 absolutely unknown order, (2) because it is not necessary and 

 does not help us to give a consistent description of the facts, (3) 

 chiefly because it serves merely as a cloak disguising our 

 ignorance and must tend to make those who adopt it content to 

 remain ignorant. Dr. Schofield's position seems to be based 

 solely on the following argument :— 



The human organism exhibits activities that cannot be 

 shown to be accompanied by corresponding states or processes 

 of consciousness, but which nevertheless display so great a 

 complexity and nicety of adjustment of means to ends that we 

 cannot suppose them to be carried out by the agency of neural 

 processes only ; therefore we must assume an agent that plays a 

 part similar to that which we assign to consciousness, but 

 differing from it merely in not being consciousness. But when 

 many of our leading thinkers accept the view so clearly enunciated 

 by Huxley in his essay on "Animal Automatism/' the view, 

 namely, that all human activities are carried out by the agency 

 of neural processes without the causal intervention of any other 

 factor, consciousness being an epiphenomenon merely, why 

 should Dr. Schofield believe himself competent to draw a line 

 at any particular degree of complexity of behaviour, saying " So 

 much can the unaided neural processes accomplish, but no 

 more." W. McD. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL. 

 TN 1S79, Dr. Lightfoot, speaking at a prize-giving in 

 *■ Liverpool, described as seen in a dream its future 

 University College. The speech had no small influence 

 in securing the foundation of the College, and twenty- 

 three years have done much to realise the dream. 



The progress of University College has been most 

 striking ; it started in 1881 with seven professorships and 

 three lectureships. Now there are twenty-one professor- 

 ships each endowed with the sum of 10,000/. and one 

 temporarily endowed. The total number of professors, 

 lecturers and assistants is seventy-two, and the value ot 

 the endowment about 226,000/. 



Practically all of this has been given by citizens of 

 Liverpool, much insinglesumsof 10,000/., for the founders, 

 inspired by Mr. Rathbone, were wise men, and realised 

 that they were providing for a large need and must do it 

 on a large scale. 



The value of the College site and buildings already 

 erected is about 280,000/., while 50,000/. from the fund 

 recently raised is to be spent immediately in further 

 buildings. For scholarships, prizes, the maintenance of 

 laboratories and of the Day Training College, about 

 60,000/. has been invested ; a capital sum of more than 

 600,000/., contributed in twenty-three years by Liverpool 

 benefactors for the advancement of learning and for the 

 education of their townsfolk. 



Besides this, large sums are given voluntarily each year 

 for annual expenditure. The city shows its interest in a 

 practical manner by the grant it makes towards certain 

 of the technical classes, while the fees received from 

 students last year reached 13,000/. These results, though 

 they may seem small compared with some of those 

 achieved through individual generosity in America, are 

 splendid. The Bishop's dream is nearly realised. 



Now the men who have done this come forward and 

 say that it is necessary for the future success of their 

 work that the union which exists between the three 

 colleges of the Victoria University should be dissolved, 

 and that Liverpool should have its own University. Can 

 anyone gainsay their right to speak or urge that they 

 are not the best judges of their case? 



They speak with no uncertain voice. The Edu- 

 cation Bill transfers to the City Council the control of 

 education in the city, and the Council is of opinion 

 that a University of Liverpool is necessary as the key- 

 stone of the arch it intends to build ; it has already 



NO. 1729, VOL. 67] 



received power to raise a rate for university education if a 

 Charter is granted to University College,and it intends to 

 do it. It is inconceivable that that Charter should be re- 

 fused, that the Government, which has indicated its wise 

 desire to leave freedom wherever possible for the develop- 

 ment of education according to local needs, should refuse 

 the request of one of the greatest of the local authorities of 

 the country, the Corporation of Liverpool, to complete its 

 work by establishing a "great university for a great city." 

 These were the words used by Mr. R. B. Haldane at a 

 city dinner in Liverpool some four years since ; it was 

 clear from their reception then that the ideal he put 

 forward appealed strongly to the representative gathering 

 which he addressed, and in the joint petition of the City 

 and University College for a Charter which is now before 

 the Privy Council we have the outcome of his words. 



The case is one which carries conviction as it is read. 

 The grant, it is urged, would greatly stimulate the de- 

 velopment and increase the influence of University 

 College and other institutions for the promotion of 

 higher education in the city ; it would bring higher 

 education into closer connection with the professional 

 and commercial life of the city ; it would provide a 

 true university education for many who cannot leave 

 home to obtain it— the promoters urge with success the 

 distinction between education in a university college, a 

 part of a federal university, and that in a university— it 

 would stimulate research by multiplying in the proper 

 places the centres at which this can be carried on, and, 

 having regard to the inadequate provision of the higher 

 forms of education in England relatively to foreign 

 nations, would be for the benefit of the nation as a whole. 



Each of these claims is substantiated by solid facts. 



The success of the movement will mean the dissolution 

 of the Victoria University in its present form. 



To this, Owens College, the predominant partner in 

 the federal University, has given a ready consent ; the 

 two great cities of south-west Lancashire are at one in 

 the belief that each may well be the centre of an in- 

 dependent university, and the case for Owens College is 

 in many ways stronger than that for Liverpool. York- 

 shire College, on the other hand, wishes to retain the 

 present system. The financial position of Yorkshire 

 College is much weaker than that of her sister colleges ; 

 Mr. Lupton at Leeds in January last said, when speaking 

 of the number of its students, " It will compare favour- 

 ably and creditably with the other two colleges of the 

 University, but in its material assets it is ludicrously 

 wanting. In the capital of the College, the assets are 

 between 250,000/. and 300,000/., but the money has been 

 spent on buildings, apparatus, &c. Of invested capital, 

 we have not quite 39,000/., the income of which goes to 

 the annual expenditure of the College." 



At present, then, Yorkshire College is less fitted than 

 the others to become a university, hence in part its dislike 

 at being left alone. But Yorkshiremen are quite able, as 

 was stated by the Principal of the College and the Bishop 

 of Ripon at the same meeting, to create a university of 

 their own if the need for it arises, and it will be found in 

 Leeds no less than in Liverpool that a great university 

 is a great power for good and for advancement. 



To Liverpool and Manchester, the failure of the petition 

 would be disastrous ; it would curb enthusiasm, it would 

 check the flow of benefactions for education, it would 

 discourage men whose whole heart is in the great work 

 they have set themselves to do, to build in each of these 

 two cities a university which they feel is needed for the 

 highest training of men and women in whose hands the 

 future rests ; it would compel two responsible bodies who 

 have each decided that it can best perform its allotted 

 duties separately to endeavour to struggle on in a union 

 which they feel is hopeless. 



All this is clear to anyone reading the case presented, 

 so clear that of the issue there can surely be no doubt. 



