Calendar: 1885-1886 Page 83

REPORT 79 had just been announced and it had already caused material reduction in the number of Excise Students It is now responsible for further reduction of 84 So that excluding the Excise Class from the comparison there has been an increase of 30 This long suspension of such important Examinations is quite without precedent They will be resumed in November of this year when the classes may be expected to more than recover their former total During the year now ending 201 Students of this Depart- ment have been successful in obtaining by competition positions on the Establishment of the Civil Service -The Classes for Ladies at Kensington have more than maintained their numbers during the past year and an important step has been taken for their further development The lease of the house in which they have been hitherto held expires at Michaelmas next and the Council have opportunely been able to obtain valuable freehold house in Kensington Square in an excellent situation for the purpose It is not only amply sufficient for the present needs of the Classes but is capable of enlargement in proportion as they are further developed In these circumstances the question arises whether the Council will formally adopt these Classes into the constitution of the College and this question has been referred for consideration to Committee The promised subscriptions have been called in and will suffice to pay the greater part of the expense of entering upon the new house But the Council will have to borrow some of the money necessary for the purpose and it will be desirable to make renewed effort this year to raise further funds for the final establishment of the Classes JET -The number of boys in the School in the Lent Term was 539 This was somewhat below the number in the corresponding Term of last year but the decrease is fully Since the report was printed the Council have resolved to adopt these Classes and an account of the new Department thus constituted will be found at pp 91 and 333