Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/274



have no proper railings to protect our garden, and we depend on the Government entirely for the maintenance of the garden. The end in view can be attained partly by fresh benefactions devoted to such special purposes, and partly perhaps by a revision of fees for examinations. However unpopular any project for raising fees may be, it must be faced, if we are to compete with the Universities of Calcutta and Madras, which are both self-supporting institutions. In this western capital we cannot afford to lag behind in such a race.

Gentlemen of the Senate,—You will all share in my regret that it has not been possible for His Excellency the Governor to preside, in his capacity as Chancellor of the University, at this Convocation for conferring degrees. We all know that it would have given Lord Harris sincere satisfaction to perform the duty.At the same time we can readily understand that there have been difficulties in the way, at a period of grave public anxiety, when it has been necessary, as it has been within the last few weeks, for Lord Harris to visit in person the districts in the southern part of this Presidency which are threatened with famine and when, since his return to the Presidency town, the demands on his time, in connection with the varied duties of his high office, have been urgent and perpetual—so as to leave him no opportunity for such leisurely consideration of the affairs of the University as he would desire before meeting the Senate on such an occasion. Gentlemen, when I had the honour of addressing you, in Convocation, a year ago, I drew your attention to certain figures which enabled us to form a rough estimate of the way ,in which the business of the University had increased since the year 1862, when the first Convocation for conferring degrees was held. With your permission, I will revert to the subject again this evening, as it is one that we shall do well to bear in mind: for there can be no question that, if our annual reports show a steady increase from year to year in the number of candidates who present themselves at the several examinations, and an increase also in the number who pass those examinations, then such a fact is not only satisfactory evidence of the growing usefulness of the University, but a good indication also of the spread of the higher education in the Presidency. The figures that I will now lay before you are those showing the number of