V.—No. 1.

Council of Education would be able to work out the details of any scheme of which the outline was furnished them. 4.] I should leave this open to the choice of the successful candidates—l would not propose scholarships in connection with any particular University. Practically, men going home for a University course would not hesitate, I should think,- to prefer Oxford and Cambridge to any others. They have the greatest prestige, and alone offer the advantages of the tutorial system with the highest possible mental and moral culture, and association with the elite of the youth of Great Britain. Men with classical and English literary taste would prefer Oxford. Men with a mathematical turn would look towards the sister University; some few might go to the Universities of London and Edinburgh, particularly those anxious to enter the medical profession. Some rara avis might prefer Bonn, or Heidelberg, or Gottingen. The academical system of France presents no attraction to a foreigner, and that country need not enter into our list. The best and most liberal way, I believe, would be to leave this matter optional with the prizeman. 5.] The minimum value of an University exhibition from the Colony should be £200 per annum, tenable for a period of at least four if not five years. By the new Statutes (I speak of Oxford—l know nothing about Cambridge), a freshman can matriculate—go into residence and pass his little go, or Responsions, in his first term j at the end of his eighth term, or in his eighth term, he can go in for his first public examination, or moderations, having had plenty of time for honours in this examination if lie pleases, if not, the more time to go in for honours in the final schools in his twelfth or thirteenth term. After this final classical school there is another obligatory examination in one of the three schools of mathematics, law and modern history, or natural science, at option. If the student be desirous of taking honours in either of these schools, in addition to classical honours, two terms more would be required. This makes fifteen terms in all; allow one more for contingencies, and you have sixteen, just the duration of four years, so the exhibition, to do full justice to the exhibitioner, should be for a period exceeding this, say five years. The exhibitioner going to Oxford should always be in England so as to matriculate in the Act or Trinity Term, between Whitsunday and July Ist, as thereby time is saved, the public examinations only occurring in certain terms. The cost of living, including tuition, battels, rooms, &c, for an undergraduate at my own College (Worcester College, Oxford), may be fairly estimated at .€75 per annum. At the Halls it can be done for less, but the tutorial system is not so good as at the Colleges, and their prestige less. The cost of a private tutor at the University is £10 per term, that is, three hours per week for six weeks ; but this is only necessary for one or two terms before going into the schools for honours. It is more difficult to answer about the vacations, —so much depends on the man himself. They last for some six months, more or less, of the year, Christmas, Easter, and the long. The Christmas vacation lasts some four weeks or so, and by application to the Proctors, backed by the Head of the Students College, he can have permission to remain in residence, and not go down as the other men; so also at Easter. It is different in the long,—all must go down. Reading parties are mostly made up by the men among themselves, to read with some tutor at a quiet watering place by the sea, or somewhere in the country, and this can be done for from £30 to £40 for the whole time. Let us say then the expenses will be— £ s. d. Tuition, Battels, and Rooms .. .. .. .. 75 0 0 Vacations .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 0 0 £135 0 0 Leaving for extras—Books, Tutor, &c. .. .. .. 65 0 0 £200 0 0 I annex one of my own battel bills for half a year, to prove the accuracy of my statement. Cambridge is, I believe, cheaper than Oxford. Mr. Maxwell to Worcester College. L.D. Quarter, 1860. Dr. £ s. d. Battels .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 15 6 Tuition .. .. .. .. .. .. 800 Common Room .. .. .. .. .. 160 Christmas, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 18 12 0 £36 13 6 It will be observed that in this account no room rent is charged. I had no rooms in College, but lived out. The charge to the undergraduate would, however, be much the same, as I (being a Fellow-Commoner of my College) paid double fees for tuition, the charge to the undergraduate being £4 a term. £4 a term would procure very good rooms and this would equalize the expense. 6.] There should be a limit to the age of the exhibitioners proceeding to Europe—not to exceed eighteen. The details of ths subjects for examination could best be worked out by the Council of Education; but the following I think should be the subjects, and something like an approximative value I should set upon each, based, I may say, upon my own experience as a private tutor, 13

49

ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS.