The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-08 00:00:00

year
There have entered this session, matrieulaied
students

Non-matriculated students 38

Total number of students of the session now closed 156
Those students were distributed as follows :
Matrieullted. Non-matriculated. Total.
Faculty of arts ... .56 ... 12 ... 68
Faculty of medicine 31 ... 19 ... 50
Faculty of law ... 3 ... 3 ... 6
Course of engineering 18 ... 1 ... 19
Course of agriculture 10 ... 3 ... 13

118 38 156
The true significance of these numbers may not,
however, be fully understood without a brief expla-
nation.
It has been objected by those opposed to the Queen's
Colleges that the numbers of students who entered in
the preceding year did not indicate any conviction of
the merits of the educational system, but had been at-
tracted by the many scholarships, which purchased a
support that might not have been accorded on mere
principle. But it is now seen that in this year,
although, by the scholarships having to be divided
between the stwWnts of two years' classes, the number
of those prizes available to the candidates entering
this year was reduced to one-half, nevertheless a
larger number of students presented themselves than
in the last year for matriculation, and to follow out
the academic course for degrees. Another remark-
able fact is, that many of the students of last year at-
tended the college as non-matriculated students, and
merely followed one or two courses of lectures, from
an interest in special subjects, have, in the session now
closed, from an experience of the system of education,
joined as matriculated students, to pass through the
entire course, and graduate in the Queen's Univer-
sity. Hence the number of merely non-matriculated
or extra collegiate students is not greater than in last
year, as the tendency has been to the complete ab-
sorption of those students into the collegiate organi-
sation.
In regard to the ages of students the averages ap-
pear nearly the same as in last year's report. For the
matriculated students the average ages are—
Years.
_ _ _

In the Faculty of arts 18
Faculty of medicine 191
Faculty of law ... 18
Course of engineering ... flBl
Course of agriculture 19 1-3
General average 181
Of the entire number of students there are 14
under 16 years of age; 82 between 16 and 21 ; and
25 over 21 years of age. The extreme ages are 14
and 35 years. The ages of non-matriculated students
are generally higher than those of the matriculated,
but are not entered, as those students are not subject
to the statutes for residence and supervision.

MATRICULATION, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND COURSES OF

INSTRUCTION.
The nature and circumstances of the matriculated
examination in the several faculties and courses has,
ing been fully explained in the preceding report, it is
sufficient now to mention that a very distinct advance
has been remarktd by the examining professors in the
degree of proficiency exhibited by the young men
who presented themselves this year for entrance.
The nature of the education system of the Queen's
Colleges and University being now better understood
by the managers of schools, the absolute nece.sity
for a high standard of preparation is recognised, and
will be carried into effect. by a strict enforcement of
the entrance examination by the authorities of the
college.
The examinations for scholarships were held at the
periods arranged in accordance with the statutes, and
were conducted by theprotessors of the several branches
of literature nod science engaged in the courses for the
first and second years' scholarship respect;vely.
Those professors reported to the council the result of
their examination, and the council thereupon allo-
cated the scholarships. As in the former year, the
council, anxious to render your Most Gracious Ma-
jebty's liberality in founding those scholarships the
reward of valid and superior merit, did not confer any
scholarship except on evidence of positive ability and
knowledge. There have, consequenly, remained also
in this year some scholarships not filled up, but from
the active competition and higher preparation of the
candidates, the number undisposed of is much less than
in the case of the preceding year.
It gives me much pleasure to be able to report that
the systematic instruction in the various departments
of science and literature in the college faculties and
courses has been carried on by the several profes-
sors with a degree of zeal, diligence, and ability,
generally most highly creditable to themselves, and
most useful to the public ; and although in some
very few instances the class arrangements have not
yet fully acquired the form which the objects of the
collegiate instruction will ultimately require, I am
confident that with the anxiety which the college
council and the professors generally have shown to
promote the interests of education, every possible ex-
ertion will be made to realise the full extent of your
Majesty's beneficent intentions in organising the im-
proved system of collegiate and university education.
The classes of the second year's course of the azta
faculty having come into play during the session

9 ,r-

LONDON,

The arrangement and formation of the library has
been actively proceeded with since date of last
report, and, so far as the limited funds available
from the .Parliamentary grant has allowed, may
be considered as being nearly completed, except
in the department of anatomy and physiology, in
which the requisition lists have not yet been finally
arranged. In each department, however, the books
n3w obtained can only be contemplated as forming a
nucleus for what the library collections of the college
ought to be ; and I would beg leave to submit the
absolute necessity of additional funds being provided
for obtaining books, as even already the wants of the
professors and more advanced students have outgrown
the existing resources of the college.
Some additions have been made to the library, by
donations of books, of which the most interesting has
been that of 51 volumes of works on Oriental litera-
ture, presented by the Hon. East India Company ;
and of 23 volumes and parts of geological memoirs,
maps, and plates, precented by Sir Henry Delabeche
on the part of your Majesty's Government. The
Royal Irish Academy and the Messrs. Chambers have
presented their several publications, and I was able to
select from my own library 238 volumes of works on
the physical and medical sciences, as a donation to
those departments of the college library. Donations
also of many individual works have been received
from Dr. O'Connor, of Cork, and ether persons in-
terested in the progress of the college.
Considerable progress has been made in the arrange-
ment of the museum, and its collections have been
augmented by donations of a series of the fossils col-
lected in the north of Ireland during the geological
survey under Lieut.-Colonel Portlock, R.E., presented
by the Right Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Woods;
also of a series of casts of the fossils of the Him alayah,
collected by Dr. Falconer, presented by the lion. the
East India Company ; also of a collection of specimens
of American woods, presented by General O'Leary.
Further donations of rocks and minerals have been re-
ceived from Mr. Greenough, to whose kindness and
liberality the college is under the greatest obligation.
There now only remains a department of the general
and medical museums in which the collections still
require to be organised, and it is to be expected that a
very short time will enable those departments also to
be rendered tolerably complete as to the arrangements
for their illustration.
Eat4DENCES AND DISCIPLINE OP STUDENTS.
The discipline and conduct of the general body of
students have been found during the last session upon
the whole extremely satisfactory, only a few cases
having occurred of infraction of rules of discipline,
and none which required other correction than the
admonition by the vice-president and by the college
council. In no case has any violation of the rules of
discipline in regard to morality and religion been
known to have occurred.

In repro to the conduct of the students resident in
licensed boarding-houses, and of the religious instruc-
tion imparted to those students by the reverend deans
of residences of their respective creeds, I have the
honour to annex the report of those reverend gentle-
men ; and I beg to add thereto my own full agree-
ment in the opinions which are therein so strongly
expressed, that the moral and religious conduct of
those students is most honourable to themselves, and
most decisive as to the beneficial influence of the col-
legiate system on the habits of the young men who are
subjected to its rules.

I bfg leave also t(; express to your Most Gracious
Majesty the gratitude which is due to those reverend
gentlemen, the deans of residences, who having dis-
charged the wholly gratuitous duties of their offices
with such efficiency and zeal as fully proves their
conscientious anxiety for the moral and religious wel-
fare of the students committed to their charge.
The number of students of the Wesleyan commu-
nion having materially increased, his Excellency the
Earl of Clarendon, Lqrd-Lieutenant, has been pleased
to appoint the Rev. Mr. Greer as special dean of re-
sidences for that communion.
The relative numbers of matriculated students of
the respective communities attending the college in
the first year of its opening having been shown in the
former report, it remains to exhibit, in the following
table, the proportions of students of the several creeds
attending during the session just now closed. Of the
118 matriculated students on the college books there
belong to the—
Church of England
Roman Catholic Church ...
Presbyterian Church ...
Wesleyan Communion
•••
Other Protestant Communions

... 42
... 65

Total ... ... se 118
When distributed according to college standing,
;here become—

Freshmen. Sophistora. Total.
Church of England ... 23 19 42
Roman Catholic Church 42 23 65
Presbyterian Church ... 1 1 2
Wesleyan Communion 5 3 8
Other Communions ... 1 0 1
Comparing the distribution of the religions of stu-
dents, among those who entered the college in the
session commencing in October, 1849, with the reli-
gions of those woo entered in the session commencing
October, 1850, the result will be found as given in
the following table, extracting the figures of 1849
from the last report :

Entrance of 1849. Entrance of 1850.
Church of England • • 16, or p. cent. 37 14 .. 23, or p. cent. 33.40
It. Catholc Church ...• 38 •• 54'29 .. 42 „ 59 16
Presbyterian...... •... 1 „ 1.43 .. 1 „ I'3l
Wesleyan ... .. •• •• •• 4 „ 5'71 .. 5 ~ 7.14
Other Cornmuulois .... 1 „ 1.43 .. 0 ~

70 100 00 71 100 ea
Hence the Roman Catholic element appears to
have increased about 4 and the Wesleyan about q
per cent. upon the preceding years. The general
',umbers may be considered, however, to represent
very fairly the ratio of distribution of the several
religions among the class of society from which the
students were derived in the south of Ireland.
In concluding this report I beg leave to express
the general satisfaction which is felt at the comple-
tion of the improved system of superior educationoybayl
the establishment, under your Majesty's R
Charter, of the Queen's University in Ireland. The
academic career of the students of the Queen's Col-
leges being thus to be crowned by the reception from
the Chancellor and Senate of the highest university
degrees in the several faculties, will open to your
Majesty's subjects of all creeds an honourable career
in practical and professional distinction, un-
biassed by prejudices, unshackled by illegal ex-
clusion, and rich in the rewards of honour im-
partially bestowed. Your Majesty having graciously
conceded an organization, so suitably devised, it
becomes the paramount duty of all entrusted with
carrying out so great an educational plan, to devote
themselves to the fulfilment of those objects of public
benefit with which this college and the university have
been founded ; and it is my fervent trust that, not-
withstanding the many and great difficulties with
which this college has to contend from various sources,
it will each year become more efficient in its depart-
rnents, more extensive and more perfect in its range
of action, and more fully known for the steady con-
duct and discipline of its students. Thus, alone, can
it become fully entitled to that award of public con-
fidence and support of which already it has received
so satisfactory a share ; and thus only can the autho-
rities of the college feel that they have discharged
their duty, in carrying out to practical success the
beneficent intentions of your Majesty for Ireland and
for its people.
(Signed) ROBERT KANE, President.
Queen's College, Cork, June 18th, 1851.

now concluded, there were occupied with the lectures
i❑ that faculty ,en professors.
I❑ the coures of the faculty of medicine there were
engaged nine professors and the anatomical demon-
strator.
In the faculty of law there are occupied two pro-
fessors.
In the course of engineering there are occupied five
professors.
In the course of agriculture there are occupied
six professors and the lecturers on 'veterinary me-
dicine.

The delivery of the course of lectures on Celtic
languages having been delayed from various causes
until very late in the session, was attended but by
one student.
The regularity of attendance of the students upon
the class lectures has been upon the whole very satin•
factory, the council having found themselves only in
a► few instances called upon to enforce regularity by
a reference to the penalties attached by the college
rules to insufficient attendance at class lectures.
I had occasion to describe in the report submitted
to your Most Gracious Majesty, at the close of the
preceding session, the great disadvantages under
which the professors of the medical faculty laboured
in carrying on the business of their several depart-
ments, owing to the total absence of any provision of
buildings for their use. lam happy to be able now
to report that in the interval a building containing a
museum, dissecting and lecture rooms, suited to the
plan of medical instruction and sufficient for the
present requirements of the faculty, has been erected,
and the courses of the medical professors have been
transferred there from :the rooms of the faculty of
arts, which had been provisionally occupied by the
medical school. For the erection of this building of
the medical faculty the college is indebted to the en-
lightened zeal for educational improvement that has
been throughout the progress of this institution uni-
formly manifested by bis Excellency the Earl of
Clarendon, under whose auspices and by whose exer-
tions and liberality the necessary funds were ob-
tained. The medical faculty and the council of the
college, feeling the most lively gratitude for his Ex-
cellency's active assistance, and being desirous to
commemorate his liberality, have resolved that the
new building shall be inscribed and designated as the
" Clarendon Building," allocated to the business of
the medical faculty of Queen's College, Cork, which
appellation it now accordingly bears.
LIBRARY AND MUSEUMS.