2 56 



A'^1 TURE 



[July 9, 1896 



fered with by the contigiiration uf the laml, and except off the 

 coast of Central America, where the south-easterly drift is again 

 "cornered," the etfect of the earth's rotation becomes more 

 apparent. The difference due to the Pacific being closed al its 

 northern extremity is extremely striking. 



H. N. Dickson. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. 



/~\N Monday the Duke of Devonshire introduced a Bill in the 

 ^^ House of Lords to make further provision with respect to 

 the University of London. In the course of a brief statement as to 

 the circumstances which have led to the introduction of the Bill- 

 the Duke of Devonshire explained that the Cowper Com, 

 mission reported two years ago in favour of London University 

 being made a teaching as well as an examining University, and 

 recommended the appointment of a Statutory Commission to 

 carry out the details of the scheme. It will be remembered 

 that a Bill dealing with the question was introduced by Lord 

 Playfair in the last Session of the late Parliament, but it was 

 not proceeded with in consequence of the dissolution. His 

 Lordship is reported by the Times to have said : " I believe 

 that neither University College nor King's College is altogether 

 satisfied with the scheme as sketched out in the Commissioners' 

 report. But still more formidable opposition has manifested 

 itself, not on the part of Convocation of London University as 

 formally constituted, but on the part of a considerable body of 

 members of Convocation residing for the most part in the 

 provinces. This opposition, I believe, proceeds from an appre- 

 hension that under the proposed constitution of the University 

 the teachers of the affiliated institutions and colleges will exercise 

 a large and perhaps undue influence over the examinations of 

 the University, and that students who have prosecuted their 

 studies in independent colleges or privately will in future be 

 placed at some disadvantage. The apprehension is that either 

 the high standard which, it is admitted, has always been main- 

 tained by the London University will be lowered, or else that in 

 the examinations arranged by the new body external students 

 will compete on unfair terms as compared with students in the 

 recognised teaching institutions. To meet objections of this 

 kind we give in this Bill a somewhat wider discretion and larger 

 powers to the proposed Statutory Commission than were pro- 

 posed to be given in the Bill presented by Lord Playfair last 

 year. While the Commissioners will be directed, as in the Bill 

 of last year, to proceed upon the proposals of the late Royal Com- 

 mission, they will also be directed to inquire into and have regard 

 to the requirements of both the internal and external students. 

 I trust that .in opportunity will lie afforded, by presenting this 

 measure in a definite shape, to those who are concerned of 

 ascertaining the real character of any opposition which may be 

 olTered to the proposed change in the constitution of the London 

 University. Personally I am insensible to the motives which 

 have actuated some graduates in offering considerable oppo- 

 sition to those proposals. After all it is the Senate of the London 

 University which is charged with the duty, and on which rests 

 the responsibility of watching over the interests and upholding 

 the character of the University, and this Bill and the proposals 

 of the Conmiission which it seeks to carry into efi'ect have, I am 

 assured, the warm approval of a large majority of the Senate of 

 the University of London. This is a measure which practically 

 has been recommended by two Royal Commissions, each of 

 which was composed of men highly competent to pronounce an 

 opinion on such a question as this. It is, I believe, supported 

 by a very large majority of the most eminent scientific and edu- 

 cational authorities in the country, and it is, in my opinion, a 

 very great anomaly, almost approaching to a scandal, that the 

 great City of London should alone of all the great cities in the 

 United Kingdom— and I believe I may add alone among the 

 great cities of Europe — have remained up to this time without a 

 teaching University. The experience during the last ten years of 

 abortive attempts — which I have briefly recounted to your lord- 

 ships — .shows that almost insuperable difficulties exi,st to the 

 establishment of any such teaching University in any other way 

 than that which has been proyiosed by the late Royal Com- 

 mission. It has been almost conclusively proved that the inter- 

 vention of Parliament through the appointment of a .Statutory 

 Commis.sion is necessary, and is the only means by which this 

 desirable end can be effected." The Bill was then read a first 

 time. 



NO. 1393, VOL. 54I 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



The french Senate has adopted the Bil 

 of district universities. 



for the establishment 



The archxological library of the Ashmolean Museum at 

 Oxford was struck by lightning during a severe storm on Tues- 

 day, and the roof was set on fire, but fortunately the valuable 

 books in the library were not damaged. 



Dr. J. Norman Collie, F.R.S., Assistant Professor of 

 Chemistry at University College, London, has been appointed 

 Professor of Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Society's School 

 of Pharmacy. 



In answer to a question put by Colonel Lockwood in the 

 House of Commons, the Vice-President of the Council said, 

 some nights ago, that the Teachers' Registration Bill could, 

 as far as he could see, only be proceeded with this session if it 

 were made entirely non-contentious. 



Lord Cross, Master of the Worshipful Company of Cloth- 

 workers, on Friday will lay the foundation-stone of a research 

 laboratory in connection with the dyeing department of the 

 Yorkshire College, Leeds. The expense of the new buildings, 

 ;f 15,000, is being borne by the Clothworkers' Company. 



The arrangements for the transfer of the right of patronage 

 to the chair of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh, 

 now exercised by the Crown, to the curators of patronage in the 

 University, and the transfer of the right of patronage to the 

 chair of Botany, now vested in the curators to the Crown, have 

 been incorporated in a Bill, and the Bill has been introduced 

 into the House of Lords by the Government. 



At the annual summer meeting of the Incorporated Associa- 

 tion of Head Masters, which was opened on Friday last at 

 Leicester, it was moved : "That to ensure the proper organisa- 

 tion of secondary education it is essential that, with the exception 

 of non-local schools, every school or de]3artment of a school 

 providing secondary education .should be placed under a county 

 authority administering secondary education." It was further 

 agreed that the " local authority for secondary education should 

 in no case administer a smaller area than that of an administra- 

 tive county as defined by the Local Government Board." 



Referring to the cost of education in Switzerland, Her 

 Majesty's Secretary of Legation at Berne points out that it is 

 much less than in England. In 1893 there were 8390 primary 

 schools in Switzerland, with 469,800 children, and an average 

 of 50 pupils per teacher, of whom there were 6290 masters 

 and 3180 mistresses. The expenses of the cantons were, on an 

 average, 50 francs (£2) per pupil, or 8 francs (6j\ 8(/. ) per 

 inhabitant. In the Polytechnic .School of Zurich, to which the 

 Federal Government makes an annual grant of ;^36,8oo, there 

 are 720 pupils, of whom 309 are foreigners. Instruction is 

 given in architecture, civil engineering, mechanics, chemistry, 

 forestry, and training of teachers. The fees are about £% I0.f. 

 per pupil. There are commercial schools in si.x cantons, 

 where the average expense to the pupil is £\% iQs. per 

 head. There are seven universities, with a total of 3742 

 male and 491 female students in theology, law, medicine, i\:c., 

 among whom are many foreigners. There are, moreover, tech- 

 nical schools of all sorts for instruction m farming, dairy work, 

 vine culture, &c., established throughout the country. In 1893, 

 in the twenty-five cantons of the confederation, the expenses on 

 account of education were, by the .State, /,'66o,20O, and by the 

 communes ji'839,960, making a total of /i, 500, 160, or an 

 average of about \os. per inhabitant. Under the heading of 

 technical instruction p^l,S7S,ooo was spent in 1894. 



The Committee of Council on Education have decided to 

 modify the existing rules for grants for instruction in science 

 ■and in art, contained in the Science and Art Directory and the 

 Minute of August 21, 1895, as follows, except as regards 

 organised science schools and training colleges, to which 

 these alterations do not apply : — In place of payments on the 

 results of e.xamination an attendance grant, except as stated 

 below, will be made, on the certificate of the Committee of the 



