The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-18 00:00:00

The half-yearly meeting of the General Council
of Edinburgh University was held on Tuesday—
Sir David Brewster, Principal and Vice-Chancellor,
presiding. The General Council having at last
meeting passed a representation to the University
Court in favour of the claim of the Scottish Univer-
sities to be represented in Parliament, Mr. A. Smith
(secretary) read the deliverance of the University
Court on the subject, of date February 20, to the'
effect that the Court was of opinion that the ques-
tion was surrounded with so many difficulties, and
had given rise to so. much difference of opinion,
that it was inexpedient for the Court to take any
action in it in the manner suggested by the General
Council. The opinion of the Court was received
with great dissatisfaction by the meeting, and it
was unanimously resolved, on the motion of the
Rev. Mr. Phin, to adhere to the opinion expressed
'at the last meeting, At the meeting held in April,
1860, which was presided over by the rector, Mr.
Gladstone, that right hon. gentleman, in a speech
explanatory of the constitution of the General
Council, stated that the Council, not being in itself
a corporation, had no right to petition Parliament,
or to take action otherwise than through the Uni-
versity Court ; but, notwithstanding, it was now
proposed that the Council should directly petition
on this subject. Mr. Boyle, advocate, moved,
" That the Council petition Parliament to give one
of the vacant seats to the. Scottish Universities,
and request the Principal to prepare and sign a
petition to that effect in the name of the Council,
and transmit it to Mr. Gladstone for presentation."
Several members expressed doubts of the compe-
tency of this procedure; but Professor Blaokie-•
urged that, if they wanted to get into any
house, the best way was to knock at the door and
try. The Solicitor-General (Mr. Maitland), who ap-
proved the object in view, expressed his regret at
the course now proposed, and said that, if they took
the advice now given of knocking at the door, they
would find themselves in the uncomfortable and un-
dignified position of being refused entrance. The
General Council was neither a corporation nor an
administrative body holding the corporate seal, and
their petition, therefore, would either be thrown
aside or received as the individual petition of the
Principal. It was at length resolved by a large
majority, on the motion of Mr. Sheriff Hallard, to
make the experiment of petitioning, thus leaving
the question of the Council's right to petition to be
dealt with by Parliament itself. The secretary then
read the deliverances of the University Court on
*some other matters on which representations had
been made. The principal deliverances were to the
effect that the University Court coincided in the
opinion of the Council as to the desirableness of a
separate chair of Political Economy, provided a
suitable endowment for it could be obtained, and
that a moderate entrance examination would,
under suitable precautions, be of beneficial effect ;
but that at present the matter ought to be left for
inquiry and consideration by the University Com-
missioners. On the motion of Mr. Innes it was
unanimously agreed to represent to the University
Court that it is expedient to consider ye, hether the
scheme of open teaching in the University by Uni-
versity graduates, under proper regulations and re-
strictions, might not be introduced into all the
faculties of the Scotch Universities.