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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 968. 



Frederick T. Hollis, Daniel H. McMillan, Judge 

 Joseph Daly, William Kernan, Eobert F. Wil- 

 kinson, and the Secretary of the Board of Re- 

 gents, and the Assistant Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction. All were men of the highest 

 standing, of trained capacity, and specially 

 interested in the whole subject. I cannot too 

 heartily thank them for their invaluable and 

 wholly disinterested labor for the public wel- 

 fare. 



This commission, after careful consideration, 

 has arrived at suggestions embodied in a report 

 suggesting statutory changes which, if adopted 

 by the Legislature, will give effect to the system 

 which they recommend. What they propose is 

 the creation of a Department of Education, in- 

 cluding both the University and the Department 

 of Public Instruction, of which a single officer, 

 known as the Chancellor of the University, 

 shall be the responsible executive and adminis- 

 trative head. The University is, of course, con- 

 tinued, and has its oversight extended to cover 

 the entire field of education, so that its real 

 authority and opportunity for public service 

 will be much increased. 



The plan proposed is simple, eifective, and 

 wholly free from political or partisan considera- 

 tions. It deserves the cordial support of all 

 friends of public education, and this means of 

 every patriotic citizen of the State. 



It is impossible to exaggerate the importance 

 of the interests involved, or the importance of 

 considering them solely from the point of view 

 of the general welfare of the State. 



INDIAN UNIVERSITY FOB BESEABGH. 



Consul Fee writes from Bombay under the 

 date of November 1, 1899, to the Department 

 of State as follows : 



The conference which has been sitting at 

 Simla, the hot-weather capital of India, con- 

 sidering the scheme for a research institute, has 

 about completed its labor. Its recommenda- 

 tions will be submitted to the government of 

 India for sanction, and later will be put into 

 legal being by proper legislation. 



The inception of the idea of this institution 

 is Mr. Tata's, a wealthy resident of Bombay, 

 whose public spirit and munificence has made 

 its creation possible. 



It is to be named the ' Indian University of 

 Research.' It will be unlike all other universi- 

 ties of India, in that it will neither be an ex- 

 amining body nor bestow degrees, but will grant 

 fellowship to distinguished students and gradu- 

 ates, and afford them facilities for research and 

 ' investigation in the broadest sense possible. It 

 will have a university court, consisting of a 

 chancellor, a vice-chancellor, one member to 

 represent the supreme government of India, one 

 to represent each of the eight local govern- 

 ments, one for each of the five existing Indian 

 universities, one to represent Mr. Tata, and one 

 to be added for any benefactor who may sub- 

 scribe not less than 15,000 rupees. 



The site, the question of which gave rise to 

 no little discussion, was finally granted to Bom- 

 bay, with Bangalore, the chief city of the na. 

 tive state of Mysore, as a second choice. The 

 fact that the Mysore government had offered to 

 donate a site and a handsome contribution to 

 the building may have been an attraction. 



It is recommended that this new university 

 cooperate with existing institutions by giving 

 assistance to original scientific research where 

 this work is now in any way hampered or 

 curtailed. 



The conception of this institution is as broad 

 as its ultimate development will be vast. It 

 will give a livelier tone to higher education in 

 India, and be a noble monument to its founders 

 and promoters. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 



Me. J. B. Hatcher has been appointed chief 

 of the department of vertebrate paleontology 

 of the Carnegie Museum, in place of Dr. Wort- 

 man, who has resigned. Dr. Wortman will un- 

 dertake work on the collections made by the 

 late Professor Marsh for the Peabody Museum, 

 Yale University. 



Sir Robert Ball, F.R.S., was elected presi- 

 dent of the Mathematical Association for the 

 ensuing year at the annual meeting of the As- 

 sociation at University College, London, on 

 January 27th. 



The Prince Regent of Bavaria has conferred 

 the order of St. Michael on Dr. Nansen. 



The address at the commencement exercises 



