The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

A meeting was held on Wednesday for admission
to degrees of the London University. Earl Gran-
ville, Chancellor of the University, presided, and he
was supported by Lord Belper, the Right Hon. W.
Cogan, M.P., S. Gurney, M.P., A. C. Sherriff,
M.P., Professors Taylor and Martineau, and the
following members of the Senate :—The Vice-Chan-
cellor, _Mr. G. Grote, LL.D.,. Earl of Kimberley,
Dr. Billing, Right Hon. E. ardwell, M.P., Sir J.
Lubbock, Sir G. Shaw Lefevre, Sir E. Ryan, Right
Hon. R. Lowe, M.P., Dr. W. W. Gull, Messrs.
Heywood, Hutton, Jessell, Miller, Oslar, Quain,
Sharpey, Sibson, Wood, and Dr. Storrar.
Earl GILirrILLE, addressing the assembly, said,
in reference to the difficulty of dealing with a sub-
, ject like education, there was a remarkable address
by Mr. Mill, and in so far as the course of education
advocated by Mr. Mill was concerned it corresponded
exactly with the curriculum (now, however, greatly
improved) which had been adopted by the London
University from the beginning. One important
feature in the address was the advocacy of the in-
troduction of scientific instruction, together with
classical instruction. This was the old battle. The
fault at first was--that while those who were the
advocates of classical teaching looked upon scientific
instruction as damaging to their object, those who
went for science were apt to run down unduly clas-
sical education as practically useless. Mr. Mill,
however, put in clear words what he would recom-
mend, •-ind what was, in fact, the course pursued in
that university—viz., to combine the two in fair
proportions, and the result was, as in all institu-
tions where the same course was adopted, to assist
those who devoted themselves principally to classics
in the attainment of honours, and to aid in the
same way those devotiugthemselves more to scientific
studies in carrying out their object and gaining dis-
tinction. The importance of thi6 subject was becom-
ing greater every day. Two events had happened
recently which brought that importance prominently
to our minds. There was the war in Germany.
The other event was of a peaceful character, but
was by no means flattering to us,.the Paris Exhibi-
tion. He believed that in the application of science
as applied to art we had made nothing like the
progress of other nations of late years. Competition
and comparison, however, he trusted, would remedy
this. At all events, the London University was not
obnoxious to any reproach on this subject. They
had always insisted upon science as an essential
point in all examinations for degrees and matricu-
lation, and recently they had established a distinct
branch for science. Some, he was aware, contended
that the science branch had failed, but the most
competent to judge were astonished at its success.
But what he Anticipated was that it would acquire
force by moving on, and it was necessary to teach
candidates that they must not rely upon books to
enable them to obtain a degree,- but upon them-
selves in the results of a systematic course of prac-
tical teaching. In some of the views of Mr. Mill he
did not altogether agree, but he agreed with him
when, in pointing out that the present mode of
teaching Latin and Greek was defective, he sug-
gested that talking Latin as well as writing and
reading it should be taught. With regard to mo-
dern languages he thought conversation was even
more important. His view was that reading, writ-
ing, and talking should go together in teaching
foreign languages, and the late Lord Palmerston,
Mr. Gladstone, and many other eminent linguists,
agreed in the opinion that examination in speaking
a language as well as in reading and writing it
should form part of every examination. Another
point put by Mr. Mill was that an University should
be an institution to give general not special know-
ledge. This theory he did not adopt, nor was it
adopted by the London University,_ which, how-
ever, if it had departed from it, had done so with
the greatest advantage to those who were instructed
therein, and to the University at large. Fears had
been expressed that iu regard to medicine the exa-
mination did not insure that amount of scientific
attainment which was necessary. Then it was said,
on the other hand, that they gave their medical stu-
dents so much theoretical instruction that it de-
stroyed their practical usefulness in after life. The
answer to that was the high position held by the
former medical students of the university in Lon-
don, or wherever they established themselves. It
would be out of place in him to embark in
any discussion on that now all-engrossing topic,
the reform of the House of Commons ; but as, when
any question of reforming an institution was enter-
tained, it was always better to look into it, he would
offer a few words upon Reform, as it affected them-
selves. This University of all institutions was the
least open to the accusation of being unwilling to
reform itself, and one' of the many charges brought
against them was that they had so many charters,
and were so constantly changing their by-laws, that
there seemed to be a race running between the
Senate and the Convocation to find out little de-
fects in order to introduce changes and new reforms
in their system. Be that as it might, no one pre-
sent could say that the success of the University
had not been great and undeniable. Outside their
.walls, however, there were reformers of a different
opinion. A gentleman of great ability, and who
was a high authority in reference to Irish univer-
sities, but whose arguments, nevertheless, he could
not regard as conclusive, had stated that the Lou-