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The University project has been enthusiastically and moet generons 425 ly supported by the Chinese gentry not only of Hongkong and by the communities of many Chinese cities from Nowchwang in the North to Canton in the South, but also by Chinese resident in many foreign countries, in Penang, in Australia and elsewhere who have sent us generous subscriptions. I hope also that the Chinese gentry of Peking will afford us powerful assistaner, materially as well as morally, for we still need considerable funds to complete our endowment and enable us to engage an adequates number of propfesors, and to found
a
sufficient number of chaira or faculties. Dr. Wa has already, told you a great deal regarding the scheme and it is one which in- terests me so greatly that I should like to tell you all about its details, but I feel that I should trespass too long on your time, on an occasion such sa this. If, however, any gentlemen here should desire to study the project fully I shall be delighted to send you copies of a pamphlet setting forth its aims and objects, and giving information as to its present financial position and with estimates of anticipated reven- ve and expenditure. I will, therefore coufine myself to one or two points which I think may be of special interest.
The Hongkong university like all the great universities of the West will exercise no compulsion of any kind whatever in matters of religion. Students will be free to act and think as they like in such matters. On the other hand I am extremely anxious that the students of the Hongkong University shall not be devoid of high ethical standarda and of strong moral force to shape their char cter and pride and elevate their standards of life, I believe that it is necessary for the average man to fix his eyes on the light of some distant beacon, if he is to succeed in steering the best and straightest course through life, Students who have been educated in Mission Schools, and who desire to retain the connexion will I trust be able to resido in Mission hostels, Others will reside in the university under the close supervision of the staff, and in touch with all that is best in Chineso life in the Colony, They will thus learn to retain that reverence and filial duty which is at once so characteristic of and so admirable a trait of the Chinese nation. And not merely family and filial reverence, but reverence and respect for all that is of good report, and all that elevates and ennobles human nature, and the life of man. Politics and theories of government reform should find no place in a university. You who are university men will all agree that a student's time is amply occupied by his studies and recreations, and he should leave there other matters until he has left the university and has acquired a larger experience of life. The second point on which I will touch is the nature of the de- gree which we hope to confer, We desire to establish three chairs first, medicine, engineering, and arts. The degree in engineering and arts will be the actual degree of the