The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-09 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

CAMBRIDGE, DEC. 7.
ASTRONOMY—MUNIFICENT GIFT.
The Vice-Chancellor has great pleasure in an-
nouncing to the members of the senate that the
representatives of the late Rev. Richard Sheep-
shanks, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College, have
offered £lO,OOO stock, 3 per Cent. Consols, for
the promotion of the science of astronomy in the
university. The terms on which this munificent
gift is offered for the acceptance of the university
will be learnt from the subjoined letter addresscdto
the Vice-Chancellor by the Astronomer Royal:—
'Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Dec. 2, 1858."
" Sir,—l am requested .by the representatives of
the late Rev. Richard Sheepshanks, M.A., Fellow
of Trinity College, to state to you that they are
desirous of offering for the acceptance of the uni-
versity an endowment of £lO,OOO stock in the Three
per Centum Consolidated Annuities (together with
one year's interest on the same, which will he
due on Jan. 5, 1859, and will then be available

under the proposed regulations for the employ-
ment of interest), for the following severPl
purposes, namely, for the establishment of an
astronomical exhibition in Trinity College; for the
promotion of the science of astronomy in. the
versity of Cambridge ; and for the rendering effi-
cient the Cambridge Observatory for the benefit of
astronomy, or of terrestrial magnetism or meteoro-
logy, or of such other sciences as usually are or may
be continuously followed in an observatory.
" It is proposed, with regard to one-sixth
part of the above-mentioned stock, that the prin-
cipal shall in no wise be touched, but that the
entire annual proceeds shall be applied every
year to the maintenance of an exhibition to
be called " The Sheepshanks Astronomical Exhi-
bition ; which exhibition shall be given to that
undergraduate of the University of Cambridge,
elected by the master and seniors of Trinity Col-
lege, who shall be found, upon notice of com-
petition publicly given, and examination held by
them or by persons appointed by them, to be
best versed in astronomy, theoretical and prac-
tical ; and the person so elected, if not a student
of Trinity College, shall thereupon become a
student of Trinity- College ; and shall retain the
exhibitions for three years, on condition that ho
shall keep, by residence, every university term of
that time ; except so far as he may have permission
of non-residence granted to him by the master and
seniors of Trinity College.
" It is further proposed, with regard to the re-
maining five-sixths part of the above-mentioned
stock, that the original principal shall in no
wise be touched; but that the entire annual pro-

ceeds thereof, and also any interest which may
arise from the investment year by year of the un-
expended portions of the annual proceeds and
previous interest, and also any sums which may
arise from the sale of such investments (if such
sale shall be thought necessary), shall be employed
as follows :

" The annual proceeds, interest, and produce of
sales of investments are not to be applied directly
or indirectly to the benefit of the professor or
other principal director of the Cambridge Obser-
vatory, or to the erection of buildings for the resi-
dence of any person whatever • but to the causing
to be made the best possible Observations and cal-
culations for advancing the science of astronomy
(whether physical or gravitational or mensurative),
or the sciences of terrestrial magnetism and mete-

orology, or other sciences usually pursued continu-
ously in an observatory ; or to the erection of
buildings or procuring of instruments proper for
and appropriated to those observations ; or to the
payment of actual observers and actual computers
personally employed on the observations and cal-
culations.

" For the due control of these moneys it is prc-
posed that the entire endowment of £lO,OOO stock
be invested in the names of the trustees : the trustees
being the master, fellows, and scholars of Trinity
College, together with Mr. G: B. Airy, Astrono-
mer Royal, during his life, and afterwards the
master, fellows, and scholars of Trinity College for
ever ; but that the immediate expenditure of the
sums annually available be entrusted to the obser-
vatory syndicate, or other body appointed annually
to this management by grace of the senate (which
syndicate or other body so constituted is hereafter
denominated the managing body).
" And it is proposedthat the following course be
pursued every year for supplying the managing
body with the funds which may be required for the
purpose of the endowment, and for the audit of
accounts :

" On any convenient day in the month of Novem-
ber or December of every year the managing body
shall, through their chairman, present to the
trustees, through the master of Trinity College, a
statement of the several purposes for which money
will be required during the next year, and
of the estimated sums necessary to effect those pur-
poses ; and the trustees shall take thestatement into
their consideration ; and if it appears in the judg-
ment of the trustees that the purposes so specified are
included among the purposes for which the applica-
tion of funds annually available is permitted by the
regulations above described, and not otherwise
then the trustees, as soon as can conveniently be
done after the payment of the January dividends, and
possible not later than the 20th day of January
following their receipt of the said statement, shall
pay to the vice-chancellor, to be expended by
directions of the managing body, the total sum
required, or so much as can be raised by the annual
proceeds and the interest of investments and the
sale of investments. And, on occasion of the next
application of the managing body to the trustees,
an account with proper vouchers shall be rendered
by the managing body, of the disbursement of the
sums received from the trustees. And any sums
which remain unexpended in the hands of the
managing body shall be refunded to the trustees,
or shall be carried to the next account as a debt of
the managing body to the trustees. And, if the
trustees approve of the account, the master of
Trinity College shall attach his signature to it, and
this shall be held to be a complete discharge of all
responsibility of the managing body towards the
trustees.
" After payment by the trustees of the sums re-
quired by the managing body, the trustees, as soon
as may conveniently be done, shall ascertain the
amount remaining in their hands, and shall invest
the same in the Three per Centum Consolidated
Annuities in the name of the trustees.
"At some time in every year, on a day to be
named by the vice-chancellor, the trustees shall lay
before the auditors of the accounts of the univer-
sity a statement, accompanied with proper
vouchers, of all the money transactions of the trus-
tees in reference to this endowment during the
preceding year ; including as receipts. the balance
in hand from the last account, the sums received
by annual proceeds and interest and sale of invest-
ments, and the moneys refunded by the vice-chan-
cellor or the managing body ; and including as
payments the stipend of the Sheepshanks Astrono-
mical, the sums paid on the demand of the ma-
naging body, the sums paid in the purchase of
stock, and the balance in hand at the time of pre-
senting the account ; and when such account is
approved and signed by the auditors, the trustees
shall be discharged of all responsibility whatever
moneyst o
of whomsoever,thisen daos
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approval and signature,
" lam further authorised by the representatives
of Mr. Sheepshanks to state that, in the event of
the university accepting this endowment, imme-
diate steps will be taken by the representatives for
giving legal force to the endowment and to the
provisions above detailed.
" I have now to request that you will be pleased
to lay this communication before the E cnatc, with a
view of obtaining the acceptance or otherwise of
this endowment by the university ; and that you
will have the goodness to make me acquainted
with their decision.—l have the honour to be, sir,
your very obedient servant,

«G. B. AIRY.

" The Rev. W. H. Bateson, D.D.,
Master of St. John's College, &c.,
Viee-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge."

Mr. G. G. Seott,(whose design for the new
Foreign-office has IiPPTI selected by Goverment) is the
grandson of the Rev. Mr. Scott, the commentator, the
friend of Newton and Cowper, and the author of that re-
markable piece a biograplaytbk "Force of Truth."