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

THE GODLESS COLLEGES.

The following are reports of the Presidents of the
Queen's Colleges, Belfast, Cork, and Galway, for the
Oession 1850-1 :
QUEEN'S COLLEGE, BELFAST.
TO THE QREEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
ly it please your Majesty,—l have the honour of
submitting to your Majesty this second report of the
operations of Queen's Callege, Belfast, embracing the
last session from its opening in the middle of October.
1850, till its close on the 15th of June, 1851. The
organisation of the different faculties, which another
year has enabled the authorities at the college to carry
forward towards completion ; the amount of scien-
tific and literary labour that has been undertaken and
accomplished both by the professors and students ;
the consolidation and harmony of the varied collegiate
interests; the consequent unity of action and of pur-
pose characterising the whole proceedings of the col-
lege ; the number of students on the roll ; and, above
all, the establishment o the Queen' University float
in full operation, securing to the different departments
degrees equal iu privilege and value to those of any
other university—all these enable me to submit this
report to your Majesty with a feeling of satisfaction
which will be shared by the supporters of united edu-
cation and the friends of national enlightenment.
1u various respects the Qieen's Colleges differ from
most existing institutions both in their courses and
operations. The present state of society demanded
the introduction of the applied practical and natural
sciences to as great an extent as is compatible with
the essentials of strictly professional education ; but
this advancement on old established systems, now
brought for two years to the test of experiment, has
confirmed all the general impressions which the pre-
tridents and vice-presidents of the colleges from the
otitset entertained of the importance of adapting in-
struction, even as regards the professions themselves,
to the wants of the community, and those economic
purposes of which science is the real foundation. The
details of this report will more fully illustrate these
views. Nor will it, I trust, be less apparent whilst
the object 4 of science and literature have been zea-
lously prosecuted that the paramount interests of re
ligion have in any sense been dissociated from that
true education which deals with the youth not only
as an intellectual but as a moral and accountable being.
The collegiate scheme established by your Majesty
has solved the problem of combining the various de-
nominations for mental culture, without interference
with religious convictions, and of providing at the
same time for the young man, if under age, that
spiritual instruction of.' which his parents approve, or
if above that age, that spiritual instruction which his
own choice and position may dictate. The reports of
the two deans of residences, published herewith, will
satisfactorily establish this important fact.
The only change which took place in the profes-
sional ranks during the past year were the transfer-
ence of Mr. M'Douall from the Latin to the Greek
chair, in consequence of the acceptance by the Rev.
Frederick Ringwood of the head-mastership of Dun-
gannon Royal School, and the appointment of the Rev.
Charles Rachel to the professorship of Latin. By
this means the efficiency of the classical department
has been fully sustained.
The protracted illness of Professor Blakey pre-
vented a course of lectures on logic from being de-
liver Id during the past session ; but his Excellency has
issued such instructions as will secure proper courses
in this branch and in metaphysics during the next
winter.

Iteferring to the different faculties, I give the offi-
cial returns of numbers and classes as have been made
out from the roll-book, and authenticated by the re-
gistrar :
Number of matriculated students attending second
session ... ••• 54
Number of students who matriculated in October
and November, 1850 ... ••• 55
Admitted a student of second year, ad eundem,
from T. C. D . •" "• ... 1

... 110
... 74

Total matriculated students attending this
session ...
Total non-matriculated student 3

Total number number of students ... 184
In the first session of the college the number of
non-matriculated students was 107, and matriculated
85. Tnis large number, at the opening of the col-
lege, is to be accounted for partly by the circum-
stance that many young men, who had previously
prosecuted their education at the Royal Institution at
Belfast and other places, entered the Q seen's College
for a year to complete it, partly because a number fell
back to compete for the scholarships ; and, to a con-
siderable extent, by the fact that the college not
having commenced its operations for a year after the
expected period, there existed an accumulation of stu-
dents at the time of opening. 'Faking these circum-
stances into account, and eonsid.inrig the past session
by itself, as a fair test of the second year's operations,
I speak the sentiments of the council and professors
in expressing gratification that since the opening of
the college, in the session 1849-50, 2d7 student: hive
been enrolled, and that 184 regularly attended during
the past year. The students who matriculated list
session are young men from the different preparatory
schools ; and it is illustrative of the impulse which
has been given to education by the establishment of
the college, that these are held by their respective
professors to be fully equal to their standing even
wi:h those who fell back from different colleges, and
carried some of the first year's scholarships.
The investigations of comp leitive merit at the sup-
plemental, entrance, and scholarship examinations in
October last, occupied the professors several days, and
were conducted with great strictness and impartiality.
The competition for honours and prizes, both at the
opening and close of the session, was remarkably
close, and made it difficult in many instances for the
examiners to decide on the relative merits of the
candidates.
The general conduct of the students has been satis-
factory, and a very marked improvement has taken
place in their attention to academic usages and rules.
Means were adopted by the council, in the early part
of the session, for securing regularity of attendance at
all the lectures aed examinations ; and an inspection
of each professor's roll-book is sufficient to show how
effective those measures have been. The subjoined
reports of the deans of residences will he regarded as
highly important, not only because they bear testi-
mony to religious advantages which the students have
enjoyed, but on account also of the practical and un-
uestiouable proof they afford of the provision that is
made in the collegiate statutes for the perfect reli-
gious instruction os the students. The references to
the good conduct of the medical students, and their
attendance on the religious exercises prescribed by
the deans, is as gratifying as it is illustrative of
the fact, that few colleges in the empire possess
the same means of religious instruction, pro-
vided the different religious bodies avail themselves
of the privileges which are secured to them by
statutory enactment. Iu reference to the subject of
religious instruction, I have further to state that the
Rev. William Lupton and the Rev. John Porter, of
Belfast, have since the close of the session been ap-
pointed by your Majesty to be deans of residences ;
the former over students of the Wesleyan body, and
the latter over those of the non-subscribing Presbyte-
rian bodies. Beth appointments were made in ac-
cordance with the wishes of the respective churches
of these gentlemen.
In collecting materials for this report, I felt it my
duty to put myself into communication with the deans
of the different faculties, in order to ascertain any
particular points to which it might be desirable to
draw your Majesty's attention.
During the past year such additions as the funds
placed at the disposal of the college enabled us to
procure have been made both to the library and mu-
ore apparent every day that
fetus] ; but it became no
the amount granted by Parliament for both depart-
ments was quite insufficient to provide such a collec-
tien of books, of apparatus and objects, as any col-
lege ought to possess in which so many subjects are
taught and illustrated.
The governors of the Observatory at sktonegie hav-
ing generously offered to the college, provided your
Majesty should approve of the transfer, some dupli-
cate instruments which once formed part of the ap-
paratus in the Kew Observatory, and were afterwards
presented to them by your Majesty's royal uncle, his
Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant put himself into
communication with your Majesty and the Primate
on the subject, and the permission being graciously
granted, that prelate was pleased to convey to me the
resolution of the governors, assigning the instruments
for the use of the college, so long as they should be
applied to their appropriate purposes. I have now
the • • gretification of stating that, owing to the exertions
of Professors Wilson and Stevelly, to whose depart-
ments this present especially belongs, aided by the
influence. and zeal of the vice-president, an observa-
tory is being erected by private contributions on the
college grounds, in which these instruments, and
others of a similar kind that may be obtained, will in
a short time be deposited, for the benefit of science
vantage of the college, and the dd On account of this
ma-k of favour, as well as the substantial benefit it
confers, the college authorities are deeply grateful to
your Majesty for permission of the transference, and
to the Primate and governors of the Armagh Obser-
vatory, for having proposed and effected it on proper
and encouraging conditions.
• During the first collegiate session, the President of
the Hoye! Irish Academy, Dr. Llyod, expressed a
elesite, on the part of that body, for the co-operation
Ivor, college, in carrying out
80111 e comparative
roeteorologleal observations. At the time we were
not in a position to respond practically to this invita-
tion. A few months ago, however, measures were
adopted for effectuating this desirable object, and I
have now to report that observations, through the aid
of excellent instruments, are being taken regularly at
the college, whose results shall be conveyed from time
to time to the president and directors of the Royal
Irish Academy,

As another matter of detail, it may be useful to
remark, that the college has experienced much advan-
tage by the establishment of a lithographic printing
press within its own walls, for collegiate purposes.
The professors are thus enabled to have all their
lexamination papers struck off and corrected under
their own inspection, and with such guarantees of
Iprotection as secure from all chance of divulgence the
questions which they propose to submit to the different
classes about to be brought under examination.
Another benefit results from this, that each professor
claiming his turn for printing, has of necessity his
papers made up in proper time, which immediately
after the examination are lodged with the registrar.
I take leave to submit in the appendix a number of
the questions which were proposed to the students of
the first and second years, during the past winter, and
in doing so I feel assured that the papers prepared by
the different professors are worthy of themselves and
the important departments over which they preside.
The oral mode of examination continues to be com-
bined to some extent with the use of printed papers,
and perhaps this union affords the best means of
testing the qualifications and relative merits of the
students.
In concluding this report, I am enabled to bear
testimony that if it be the object of the supporters of
these institutions to have science elevated and ex-
tended, habits of industry and order inspired, religion
honoured and illustrated, social harmony and good
will promoted, and all by a system which teaches the
young, while respecting their own characters and
rights, to reciprocate to others what they claim for
themselves—if it be the patriotic desire to qualify the
rising generation for individual exertion and for mu-
tual co-operation in matters national and public—
these ends have been gained to the extent of the ope-
ration and influence of
the, colleges.
provided
ds.atioTnh"oy shall
these vas
thhaeveht„hneeitir:eunitl
schememeasure of
of
thluable establishments be carried out with the same
decision that his secured their first success, and in a
spirit of impartiality similar. to that which has already
won the approbation of friends, and disarmed the hos-
tility of many opponents.
All of which is testified on behalf of Queen's Col-
lege, Belfast, by your Majesty's most diciful servant,
P. SHULDHAM HENRY, D.D., President.
Queen's College, Belfast, July 20, 1850.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CORK.
TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
May it please your Majesty,—ln accordance with
the provisions of the Act of Parliament under which
this college has been founded, and in pursuance of
the statutes issued by your Most Gracious INlajesty,
I beg leave to report as follows regarding the general
proceedings of the college during the academic year
just now terminated, and on its actual condition.
Since the date of last report the organisation of the
several departments of the college has been sedulously
proceeded with; and although in many instances
serious difficulties have occurred, which it required
much attention to overcome, the working efficiency
of the institution has been materially improved. Most
of the essential requisites for the various courses of
systematic instruction have been obtained, and been
actively availed of by the professors; and it may be
now confidently asserted that, although in no one de-
partment does the college possess all the resources
which an institution of its university rank and exten-
sive range of unity ought to possess, yet an important
advance has been made on the position occupied by
the college in the last year, and it may now contrast
favourably even with many older and more established
colleges for university education.:
I shall proceed to notice briefly such topics as may
serve most fully to illustrate the actual position of
the college, and the general working of the several
departments since the date of last report.