Dr. E. Way was elected an ordinary member. 



Letter and report of Committee received from Adelaide 

 University in reply to communication forwarded by the Council 

 of Philosophical Society, in February, 1877, urging the im- 

 portance ox providing special training for students in mining 

 engineering. Report dated December, 1878, as follows : — 



" Tour Committee have the honour to report — 1. That they 

 have carefully considered the Adelaide Philosophical Society's 

 resolution urging on the Council the great importance of 

 providing special training for students in mining engineering, 

 and the Society's suggestion to add to the University curriculum 

 such special subjects as will carry out the object of the resolu- 

 tion until the Government is in a position to take up the 

 subject more fully. 2. In considering the foregoing resolution 

 and suggestion your Committee 'have been greatly aided 

 by the valuable reports furnished by Captain Hancock, 

 Mr. Higgs, and Professor Tate, and by various papers and 

 reports as to the School of Mines at Ballarat, which the Hon. 

 the Minister of Education has obligingly procured from the 

 Government of Victoria. 3. Erom the documents referring to 

 the School of Mines at Ballarat it appears that the institution 

 expends about £1,800 per annum, and although the University 

 is only requested to add special subjects to its curriculum your 

 Committee are of opinion that the efficient teaching of those 

 subjects would necessitate a larger staff of lecturers and an 

 increased expenditure in other ways which they cannot recom- 

 mend to the Council to undertake at present. 4. Tour 

 Committee do not believe that a sufficient number of 

 students would avail themselves of the ' special training,' and of 

 the instructions in special subjects recommended by the 

 Philosophical Societ)' - to justify the Council in incurring the 

 expense necessary for those purposes, and they are also of 

 opinion that the establishment in mining centres of classes for 

 the study of subjects specially connected with a particular 

 industry would be beyond the function of the University. 5. 

 If at any future time a School of Mines shall be established by 

 the Crovernmgnt or by means of funds specially subscribed for 

 that purpose it may be properly affiliated to this University, 

 but your Committee are of opinion that to comply with the 

 suggestions of the Philosophical Society would at present be 

 premature. 6. Your Committee beg to recommend that a copy 

 of this report be transmitted to the Society with an expression 

 of the Council's regret that they find themselves unable for 

 these and other reasons to adopt the Society's suggestions on 

 the very important subject to which its resolution is directed. — 

 S. J. Wat, Vice-Chancellor, December 6, 1878." 



Mr. W. Butt moved — " 1. This Society views with concern 



