Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/280

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1892.—The Honorable Mr. Justice Birdwood.
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bers of the Senate. Both these methods of increasing our income have indeed been proposed by a special Committee appointed by the Syndicate, during the past year. The Committee has presented a report which deals thoroughly and in detail with the subject. But the Syndicate has not yet made any recommendations to the Senate, as the subject is one of those in respect of which proposals may be expected from Mr. Phirozesha Mehta's Committee, which was appointed some time ago for the purpose of dealing with the present system of appointing examiners and conducting examinations, and it was thought advisable by the Syndicate to await the proposals of that Committee before submitting any recommendations of its own. The question is one which must be dealt with in the current year, for we have no assurance that the Government grant will be continued to us much longer. We ought, without much more delay, to devise ways and means for placing the general fee fund of the University, established under the Act of Incorporation, on a proper footing. The task before us will be lightened if men of wealth, who wish to help the cause of education in this Presidency, will only remember that at the present moment an Endowment Fund, for meeting the general expenses of the University, is likely to be more useful than any addition to the endowment list of scholarships and prizes.


THIRD SPECIAL CONVOCATION.

On the evening of 24th March 1892, when the members of the University assembled to show their appreciation of the long and distinguished public services of the Hon. Sir Raymond West, C.S., M.A,, LL.D., F.R.A.G.S., K.C.I.E., by conferring on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor in the Faculty of Law,

The Hon. Mr. Justice Birdwood said:—

My Lord Chancellor and Gentlemen of the Senate,—The duty imposed upon me this evening is one which gives me much satisfaction to discharge. We are met together to give effect to the recommendation of the Syndicate, which has been supported by the unanimous vote of the Senate, and confirmed by your Excellency, that the Honorary Degree of Doctor in the Faculty of Law be conferred by the University on Sir Raymond West—on the ground that he is by reason of his eminent position and attainments a fit and proper person to receive such a degree. The power to confer honorary degrees given us by Act I of 1884 has only twice been exercised by us. In December 1884, an eminent Statesman, the Marquis of Ripon, became associated with us by admission to this degree on his retirement from the34