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THE LEGAL AND ECONOMIC BASES OF SOME COLO- 

 NIAL TEACHING UNIVEESITIES, ^YITH A LOCAL 

 APPLICATION. 



By Eey. Wm. Flint, D.D. 



(Bead April 9, 1902.) 



John Henry Newman defines a University as "A place of teach- 

 ing universal knowledge," and, if such a definition be accepted in its 

 entirety, such a title as an Examining University must be regarded 

 as a misnomer. It is, however, too late to insist on the right of 

 being purists in the use of the English language ; the position has 

 already been yielded, and when Universities are mentioned we need 

 some qualifying term to describe the particular class of institution to 

 which reference is made. We may have our own views as to the 

 desirability, or otherwise, of broadening the meaning of words, but 

 it is certainly a distinct loss to language when the meaning of a word 

 is broadened at the expense of the clearness and exactness of 

 definition which it previously possessed. Nor does it seem to be in 

 accord with the highest morality to capture a word, possessed of 

 ancient prestige and honourable meaning, and claim its shelter for 

 inferior institutions, and such as are lacking in certain well-defined 

 and essential characteristics. Still, we have to take the facts as 

 they exist, and in doing so it would not be difficult to bring evidence 

 to show that what we term an Examining University, however 

 valuable its M'ork, must be generally regarded as of a makeshift 

 character, especially in a country where it is the only type. In 

 older lands, and where institutions of a varied nature are in 

 existence, this need not be insisted on, as both Teaching and 

 Examining Universities find their distinct spheres in the national 

 Hfe. 



In a Colony like our own, where at present there is no choice 

 between the two classes of Universities, there will, moreover, be 

 generally found an under-current of unrest and dissatisfaction with 

 the nature of the ideal of education available, both on the part of 

 professors and students, and it must not be surprising if, at recurring; 



