Calendar: 1896-1897 Page 638

xl viii REPORT is that the great mass of Students have advantages in the Scottish in the Northern and in the Welsh Universities from which Students in London are debarred while the teach- ing of London institutions is deprived of its natural rewards and consequently of its due influences The grant to Pro- vincial Colleges of the privileges requisite to relieve them from similar disadvantage has at once aggravated the mis- chief in London and has given it character of conspicuous injustice The two London University Colleges were founded before the University of London and gave the occasion for its institution and they set the example which at much later date the Provincial Colleges have followed Yet the London Colleges have been excluded from any effective connection with the London University and are refused privileges which have been freely granted to their younger sisters in the Provinces Unless they are given similar privileges it is impossible for them to exert the full influ- ence in the promotion of higher education which is gener- ally acknowledged to be desirable in great city and the youth of London are placed at material disadvantage in comparison with the youth of the other great cities in the United Kingdom in which Universities exist For these reasons the Council of King's College waive their own opin- ions as to the nature of the settlement which is the most desirable in order to obtain at all events some improve- ment in the present intolerable situation They adhere to their preference for the scheme which under the co-opera- tion of University College and King's College and with the assent of all the Medical Schools in London received the sanction of the Privy Council in 1892 but which was stopped in Parliament chiefly owing to the opposition of some of the Provincial Colleges But they recognise that with certain material amendments the scheme proposed by the second Royal Commission may do much to remedy the disadvantages and injustices of the present situation and therefore with due security for the consideration of such amendments both by the Statutory Commission and by the Privy Council they beg to unite themselves with the rest of this Deputation in the petition addressed to Her Majesty's Government