Graduations

Graduation address given by the Chancellor, Sir William Manning

Sir William Manning, Chancellor of the University of Sydney, gave the address at the dual Annual Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees ceremony held on Saturday 16 July 1881.

The following is an extract of the address which was published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Graduation address

Ladies and Gentlemen, Whilst this address was under preparation, it was understood that his Excellency Lord Augustus Loftus would preside at this meeting in his capacity of Governor of the Colony and " Visitor" of the University, and that he would address to us some words of encouragement and of suggestion for advancement. But the very recent arrival of the Imperial Detached Squadron with the Royal Princes of England, has, I regret to Bay, led to arrangements which deprive us of his presence. His Excellency has desired me to state his regret that he must be absent on this occasion, and his hope to be present at all future commemorations during his term of government ; and also to express his cordial sympathy with us in the purposes for which we are assembled. I have now the honour to address a commemoration meeting of this University for the fourth time as its Chancellor, it having been the pleasure of the Senate to re- lect me upon the recent expiration of my first term of service. The opinion has been expressed that the addresses might be
discontinued as unnecessary; and I confess that, in preparing to discharge this accustomed duty, in the midst of abundant other labours, I have often cast wistful regards towards the view which would relieve me from the task, and certainly I should be silent now if considerations of personal ease could be permitted to prevail. But probably you expect to be informed to-day, as on like occasions heretofore, of the events and proceedings of the past academic year, and of the prospects and hopes of the University in the coming time ; and my own conviction is that these addresses afford valuable opportunities for arousing interest in a cause and an institution which have not been as popular as they deserved to be, and which have seriously languished through public apathy. To- day I have the pleasure to state that the past year has, in this respect, ended as it began. But we have sustained a painful loss in the withdrawal from duty, in consequence of mental illness, of Mr. Hugh Kennedy, M.A. (Oxford), who had been Registrar for twenty-seven years, and for nearly twenty-five years Assistant Classical Professor and Examiner.

Shortly before the full development of this respected gentleman's illness, he obtained leave of absence for twelve months; and Mr. H. E. Barff, then lecturer in mathematics, was appointed acting Registrar in his place. We have reason to fear that Mr. Kennedy's return to duty will not be possible. The Senate has lately had the pleasure of re-electing our greatly esteemed Vice chancellor, the Rev. Canon Allwood, for his twelfth year. I mentioned last year that it had become important that our Professors should have assistance in their classes, and that the Government had promised help for that purpose. That help extended to an immediate executive grant of £500 for the remaining half of 1880, and a promise, since carried out for 1881, to propose Parliamentary vote for £1000 in subsequent years. The Senate thereupon appointed three assistant lecturers at £300 a year each (contingent on Parliamentary votes), in the classical, mathematical, and chemistry branches, with their adjuncts. The lecturers so appointed were Mr T. Butler, B. A., of this University, in Classics ; and Mr. H. E. Barff, also B.A. of this University, in Mathematics, &c. ; and Dr. Helmes, Ph. D. and M.A., of Berlin, in Chemistry, &c. On the appointment of Mr. Barff to be acting Registrar, he shortly found himself obliged to withdraw from his lectureship, and thereupon Mr. H. L. P. Elles, B.A., of Cambridge, was appointed in his place. Dr. Helmes was specially made assistant in the laboratory. The services of these lecturers is proving of great value to the students. A partial change has been made in the professorial chairs, Professor Smith having been confined to the large and constantly expanding subject of "Experimental Physics," and the senior chair in Chemistry having been given to Professor Liversidge, who also retains the Hovell lectureship in Geology and Physical Geography, and will continue to have charge of Mineralogy. Benefactions : The year has not passed without further private benefactions, valuable in themselves and indicating that the University continues to be a favoured object of the benevolence of persons of public spirit and wealth. The most important is a legacy of £1000, bequeathed by the late Mr. James Aitken, of Bushy Pork, near Grafton, for the foundation of an additional bursary or scholarship (as the Chancellor may elect), to bear the founder's name, of £50 a year. Last year I urged the want of further bursaries for poor students, and this year's experience has very strongly and painfully confirmed what was then said ; inasmuch as there were twelve applicants for a single vacancy, of whom eleven were apparently eligible, from financial inability to bear the cost of University education without assistance. We have therefore so much the more thankfully to acknowledge the benevolence of this new founder, and I have had no hesitation in electing to create a bursary. The bequest was not received until the present week. Mr. Thomas Walker and Mr. Fitzwilliam Wentworth have made donations amounting respectively to £500 and £400, as will be explained, in connection with the subject of our expected organ. Both these gentlemen had previously been University benefactors; the former having, in 1879, presented the " Stenhouse Library" at a cost of £700 ; and the latter having, in 1876, endowed two bursaries with £1000 each. The Rev. W. B. Boyce (one of the original Fellows, long since retired), has lately presented fifty valuable works, amongst which is a set, almost complete, of the publications of the Oriental Translation Society. His Honor Mr. Justice Faucett gave, in January last, the second of three promised contributions of £50 for prizes in law. Mr. R. C. Want has given £25, and promised a like sum in 1882, for a scholarship in Practical Chemistry; and he has intimated his intention to make it permanent, if the results of his first gift should be encouraging. It will not be out of place to mention, in connection with the new benefactions, the recent determination of the Senate to establish two additional scholarships of £50 a year each, by means of the accumulations and surplus annual income of the "Cooper" (Sir Daniel) and "Barker" (Mr. Thomas) endowments. These were given for one scholarship each of £50 a year, for classical literature and mathematical Science respectively ; but in consequence of the investments having proved highly productive, the Senate finds itself in a position to duplicate them. They have at once been awarded as additional scholarships ; but in 1882 they will take the place of two scholarships which the University has been accustomed to provide in the absence of sufficient scholarships under private foundations. Organ for the hall : At our last commemoration I expressed the hope that when we next met our proceedings would be enlivened by strains from the grand organ, for which provision had been made ; but we are disappointed, through unexpected delays at home. The instrument was to have been delivered in London in the beginning of March, but we have only within the last three weeks received intelligence of the shipment. The total cost in England had amounted to £1648, of which £482 was already in hand from collections by Chancellor Merewether. The balance was provided by contributions of £1000, with accrued interest, and £100 by Sir Patrick Jennings ; but there remained to be met charges for freight and insurance, and the cost of erection in the hall, and of an outer frame, intended to be made in the colony. For these an estimate WBB prepared, showing that £500 more would be required ; and that it was then determined, at a meeting convened for the purpose, to raise this sum by subscriptions amongst University members as their contribution to the organ. No sooner, however, had the proposal become known, than a cheque for the full amount was spontaneously sent to our Organ Committee by that universally liberal gentleman, Mr. Thomas Walker, of Uralla. (Cheers.) Immediately afterwards, it occurred to Mr. Fitzwilliam Wentworth that a carved cedar screen under the organ gallery would be desirable; and upon an estimate of its cost being made by Mr. Blacket, at a little over £400, Mr. Wentworth generously undertook to provide the cost. When all is complete I hope we shall have a special gathering to celebrate the event appropriately ; and notwithstanding the impression of some of our friends that music in any form would be derogatory to the sobriety of our enconia [Dr. Badham : Hear, hear, and cheers] - I trust that the organ will be heard in due measure at our next commemoration, and that the audience will not think it out of place. The Senate has, from its position, specially seen and has keenly felt how imperfectly the University has in these later days been able to serve the country; and hence we have deemed it almost a sacred duty to make its wants known to the public and to the Government of the colony, and even to make earnest appeals for assistance. This the Senate has done conscientiously ; and I can truly say for myself, in the representative character with which I have been invested, that I have left no stone unturned that could be useful in building this University up to its proper dimensions, in height and in breadth. But, with what result? With none as yet from the public; except the aid only lately, though very use- fully, given, for making our
existing range of tuition more effective. But from private persons much has come during the time over which our appeals have extended. From them we have received, in hand and in prospect, a really vast accession of wealth ; and who shall say how far
the donors may have been influenced by our loud exposure of the University's requirements, and our calls for greater support? For the encouragement and financial help of students, funds have constantly continued to flow in ; and one liberal endowment for purposes of tuition in new branches (Mrs. Hovell's) has come to hand; while another of exceeding great magnitude (Mr. Challis') is in certain prospect. From these private benefactions the Senate will be in a position, at no distant time, to provide at its own sole charge all the enlargement that the University can require for the true purposes of its foundation ; and it will then be in no need of further endowment out of the public purse. (Cheers.) In its past appeals to the Government, the Senate has never regarded itself as a suppliant for favour, but has only sought the opportunity for further usefulness to the public - with the knowledge that, for itself, the concession could mean nothing but greatly increased labours and responsibilities. And we ask no favours now, but only submit for public consideration whether it is
expedient to wait for expansion until Mr. Challis' great bequest shall come into possession ? or whether it is preferable to prevent delay by an interim provision (of inferior amount) out of public moneys. The answers rest with the Government and
Parliament; and if the former course be preferred, the Senate can wait patiently, under the full consciousness of having discharged its duty, and under the certainty that the time must come (it may be soon or it may be later) when it will be in a position to give effect to its own wishes, in entire in- dependence. If, on the contrary, it should be determined to make at once the interim provision necessary to avoid delay, the Senate will most willingly devote itself to the task of carrying out such extensions as may
accord at once with the wishes of Parliament, and its own views of the appropriation of its private resources, in continuation of the scheme to be now organized. I stated last year that Mr. Challis's bequest would, as we were then credibly informed, amount to scarcely less than £180,000 sterling ; and would, if allowed to accumulate according to the testator's instructions for five years after the death of the life tenant, probably have become £200,000 when reaching the University's hands. I am happy now to report that the information received touching the realizations of the deceased gentleman's estate appears fully to justify the expectations that the bequest will not fall short of the estimated £180,000; but I regret to state that legacy duty at ten per cent, has been claimed by the English Commissioners of Internal Revenue, on the ground that Mr. Challis was at his death (contrary to his express declaration in his will) domiciled in England, and that his estate in this colony is liable to English duty, even as against a colonial legatee. Legal opinions, taken both in England and in this colony, have been unfavorable to resistance by the University ; but we are not altogether satisfied on the point, and cannot as trustees submit to the deduction of so large a sum as £18,000 without legal arbitrament ; nor without seeking, if necessary, the intervention of our Government in the interests of the public. But even if this deduction should be made, the second estimate of last year, which puts the amount at £200,000 after five years of accumulation, will I believe be realised. I will now, ladies and gentlemen, trouble you no further, but will beg you to accept the thanks of the University and Senate for the great encouragement which you have given us by your presence and attention to our proceedings. (Loud cheers).