Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/229

---

this kind would in any Faculty, not only benefit the students, but graduates and others would secure thereby a fresh impetus to their own intellectual life. If we could have induced Lord Herschell and Mr. Bryce to give us, whilst they were here, some of the treasures of their store of knowledge, we should certainly have been the better for it, even though no examination tested the results. I shall not fail to communicate with my University friends on the subject. It is a great mistake to confine higher teaching to those who occupy chairs. Universities should seize every opportunity of opening their doors to those whose learning can be made available, even though it is only for a short period. As long as excellence is reached it matters very little what the nature of the connection is of the lecturer with the University. To attain excellence we must have endowments, and select carefully the beneficiaries of the endowments. Sir John Strachey, in his valuable book on India, bears testimony to the "remarkable aptitude for surgery" of the Natives of India, "to the great aptitude shown by them in the practice of surgery and medicine." This University must make use of these gifts, and its energetic initiative will lay the foundation of what I cannot help thinking is destined to be one of the foremost scientific bodies. Amsterdam has certainly not the many advantages which are at our disposal. I am only too well aware of the difficulties which it had to conquer, as I had with some of my friends in the States- General to fight very hard to secure a small majority in favor of a charter for the University, but the Municipal Corporation of Amsterdam has amply justified our anticipations of its fostering care of the Institution of which it is most justly proud.

With regard to the Faculty of Law, the observations I have Knowledge of public law essential to adminstrators made with regard to Medicine equally apply, That Faculty also is undermanned, and its full equipment is desirable for many reasons. In all Countries with a strong bureaucracy—and India will for a long time to come have to be administered on bureaucratic principles—it is desirable that all branches of the bureaucracy should have a thorough knowledge of administrative law, of the principles underlying their practical work, and from which it derives a value that in the absence of such knowledge it lacks.For admission to the Public Service, attendance at lectures on public law, of which ministrative law forms part, should, I think, be made compulsory. Administrators in local bodies will also avoid many errors if they have sought such knowledge before they seek the votes of electors. All those who aspire to take part in public affairs should make use of the opportunity