NATURE 



351 



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, -1874 



FIFTH REPORT OF THE SCIENCE 



COMMISSION * 



II. 



SO much has been written recently here and elsewhere 

 on the origin and growth of the admirable Owens 

 College, Manchester, that we shall not repeat the details 

 on these points furnished by the Report of the Com- 

 mission. Since it was opened in 1851, it has held its way 

 through many discouragements, and now, despite its 

 comparatively narrow income, it is, at least from the point 

 of view of scientific teaching and research, one of the most 

 efficient institutions in the kingdom. Considering its 

 comparatively recent origin and its provincial situation, 

 the gifts bestowed upon it have been almost lavish ; and 

 yet the same complaint is made in the case of the 

 Manchester College as is made by the two London in- 

 stitutions : the efficiency of the work of the College, and 

 especially of its scientific side, is seriously crippled from 

 want of adequate resources. 



The whole endowments of the College, from its foun- 

 dation till the present time, have amounted to 34,582/. In 

 connection with the recent movement for the erection of 

 new buildings, including various general and special en- 

 dowments, an additional 168,300/. has been obtained; but 

 even this is short by 60,200/. of ,the sum required to 

 carry out the proposed extensions. With the prospect 

 of this deficiency the Governors of the College cannot at 

 present undertake the establishment of any new chairs. 

 If, however, they had adequate resources, it has been 

 stated that they would probably proceed to divide the 

 professorship of English and its History, and to found new 

 chairs of Mixed Mathematics, of Applied Geology and 

 Mining, of Astronomy and Meteorology, and of Archi- 

 tecture. 



The total number of students in Owens College in 

 1873-4 was 356, being an increase of 19 on the previous 

 year, and excluding 140 students belonging to the Me- 

 dical School. 



The number of students entering the evening classes 

 in 1872-3 was 557, which in 1874 rose to the very large 

 number of 889. 



With regard to the^ Owens College, the Commission 

 makes the following recommendation : — 



" Considering the strenuous and persevering efforts 

 made by the great commercial community by which the 

 Owens College is surrounded, and the cordial sympathy 

 which these efforts have evoked, and which has mani- 

 fested itself in the incorporation of other societies and 

 schools with the College, and in the subscriptions and 

 benefactions for special objects by which the exertions of 

 the governing body have been seconded ; we are of 

 opinion that this institution has established a claim to aid 

 from the national funds. We therefore recommend, in 

 accordance with the views which we have expressed with 

 regard to the two metropolitan colleges, that the Owens 

 College should receive assistance from Government both 

 in the form of a capital sum to be regarded as a contri- 

 bution towards its building fund, and also in the form of 

 an annual grant in aid of its working expenses, with the 

 especial view of enabhng it to complete the curriculum of 

 studies by the establishment of new chairs." 



* Continued from p. 332. 



Vol, X. — No. 253 



The Newcastle College of Physical Science originated in 

 a feeling on the part of the authorities of the University 

 of Durham, that that University did not completely meet 

 the educational wants of the North. To render the Univer- 

 sity more generally useful, it was thought that the best 

 step that could be taken would be to estabhsh a School of 

 Physical Science in connection with it. Newcastle, as 

 the site of this school, was preferred to Durham, in defer- 

 ence to the wishes of all the eminent local employers of 

 labour. 



The College was founded in 1S71 for the teaching of 

 physical science, particularly in its practical application 

 to engineering, mining, manufactures, and agriculture. 

 The funds necessary for its endowment were provided in 

 part by the University of Durham, which gave, in the 

 first instance, 1,000/. a year in perpetuity, which has since 

 been increased ; and, in part, by a subscription raised in 

 the north of England. 



From local sources, and by amalgamating with the 

 College the other scientific institutions of Newcastle, 

 1 1 7,000/. may be obtained. 



The amount originally subscribed was of course insuffi- 

 cient to provide buildings for the new institution, and the 

 College has at present to pay rent for the premises which 

 it occupies. It is the opinion of the witnesses that it is 

 extremely desirable that the College should be provided 

 with buildings of its own. Sir William Armstrong says : 

 "We consider the present accommodation as a make- 

 shift, but without Government assistance it would be 

 scarcely possible to undertake" to provide separate build 

 ings appropriated solely to the College. 



It was proposed, in the first instance, to provide four 

 professorships, viz., of Pure and Applied Mathematics, of 

 Chemistry, of Experimental Physics, and of Geology. To 

 these professorships, lecturers have been added in literary 

 subjects, in Greek and Latin, in English History and 

 Literature, in French, and in German, besides a lecture- 

 ship in Mechanical Drawing. It is thought very desirable 

 by the founders of the College that other professorships of 

 Science should be added to those already founded ; in- 

 deed, a professorship of Biology has been recently estab- 

 lished. 



The number of students in 1873-4 was 78. The course 

 of study is one of two years, there being two examina- 

 tions, one at the end of each year ; the candidates who 

 pass the formal examination in Physical Science at the 

 end of the second year to receive the title of Associate in 

 Science of the University of Durham. 



" There appears," the Report states, " to be every reason 

 to think that the Newcastle College of Science is serving 

 a most useful purpose in its own neighbourhood. There 

 can be no doubt that local colleges in the great centres of 

 manufacturing industry are in a position to meet local 

 requirements which central institutions in London or the 

 national universities arc unable to do. 



"According to Sir Wm. Armstrong the character of 

 the instruction should be mainly, or almost entirely, of a 

 purely scientific character, because at present there is no 

 difficulty as regards practical knowledge, while on the 

 other hand there is no means of acquiring scientific 

 knowledge. 



" The claims which the promoters of the College con- 

 sider themselves to have upon the Government for assist- 

 ance are founded upon the national usefulness of the 

 institution, and on the amount of local support which it 



