Ixxxviii KEPORT — 1873. 



There are, however, further advantages to the working of the system to 

 be derived from full publicity of aU its more important proceedings. It will 

 supply materials for the formation of a sound public opinion respecting the 

 proceedings of the authorities in their various spheres of action. A claim for 

 money might be made upon Government by the rulers of some college iipon 

 inadequate grounds ; or a just and proper claim of the kind might be disre- 

 garded by Government. Neither of these things wiU be likely to happen 

 very often if the aj^plications, together with the evidence bearing on them, 

 are open to public scrutiny and criticism ; and when they do occasionally 

 happen, there will be a natural remedy for them. 



If I have succeeded in making clear to you the leading principles of the 

 plan to be adopted for the advancement of science, including, as it necessa- 

 rily must do, national education generally, you will, I think, agree with me 

 that, from the very magnitude and variety of the interests involved in its 

 action, such system must of necessity be under the supreme control of 

 Government. Science wiU never take its proper place among the chief ele- 

 ments of national greatness and advancement until it is acknowledged as such 

 by that embodiment of the national wUl which we call the Government. Nor 

 can the various institutions for its advancement develope duly their useful- 

 ness until the chaos in which they are now plunged gives place to such order 

 as it is the proper function of Government to establish and maintain. 



But Government has already taken, and is continuing to take, action in 

 various matters affecting elementaiy popular education and higher scientific 

 education, and it would be difficult to arrest such action, even if it were 

 thought desirable to do so. The onlj' practical ^question to be considered is 

 how the action of Government can be systematized so as to give fi'ee plaj' to 

 the natural forces which have to do the work. 



By establishing official examinations for appointments and for degrees, 

 Government exerts a powerful influence on the teaching in schools and 

 colleges, without taking cognizance, except in some few cases, of the systems of 

 teaching which prevail in them. Again, they give grants of public money from 

 time to time in aid of colleges or universities, or for the establishment of a 

 high school under their own auspices. Sometimes they endow a Professor- 

 ship. In taking each measure of the kind they are doubtless influenced by 

 evidence that it is in itself a good thing, calculated to promote the advance- 

 ment of learning. But a thing which is good in itself may produce evil effects 

 in relation to others, or good effects incommensurate with its cost. Thus 

 examinations afford most valuable aid to educational work when carried on 

 in conjunction with earnest teachers ; yet when established in the absence of 

 a good system of education, they are liable to give rise to a one-sided train- 

 ing contrived with a special view of getting young men through the exami- 

 nations. If no properly educated young men were found for a particular de- 

 partment of the public service, and an examination of aU candidates for such 

 appointments were to be established for the purpose of improving the system 

 of training, candidates would consider their power of answering such ques- 

 tions as appeared likely to be set as the condition of their obtaining the ap- 

 pointments, and they svould look out for men able and willing to train them 

 to that particular work in as direct and effective a manner as possible. The 

 demand for such instruction would soon be supplied. Some teachers would 

 undertake to give instruction for the mere purpose of enabling candidates to 

 get through the examination; and by the continued habit of such work would 

 gradually come to look upon the examiners as malignant beings who keep 

 youths out of ofiice, and whose vigilance ought to be evaded by such means 



