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The Universities Act

Ripon College made over to trustees: from proprietor I become President of Council: public appeal for funds—farewell to teaching: what I taught—my membership of the Senate: an inexplicable election rule—English literature without English history—Mr. Justice Ashutosh Mukherjea as Vice-Chancellor—I cease to be a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.

The Universities Act was passed in 1904, and a Committee was appointed to frame the regulations under the Act for the University of Calcutta. On the passing of the Universities Act I divested myself of my proprietory right over the Ripon College and made over to a body of trustees the college and the school, which is an adjunct to it, with the library, the laboratory and all property belonging to them, together with a sum of Rs. 5,000 in cash. I myself remained one of the trustees, reserving to myself no interest, pecuniary or otherwise, save the right of nominating my successor.

Having thus made over the college and the school to the public, I applied myself to the task of providing a permanent habitation for them. We had never had funds for so large an undertaking. So long as I was proprietor I could not appeal to the public for subscriptions in aid of an institution which was mine. But, now that the college was a public concern, no such scruples stood in my way, and I opened a subscription list for the college building, the foundation-stone of which was laid by Sir Edward Baker, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, in August, 1910.

Sir John Rees attacked him for thus publicly associating himself with an institution with which I was so closely connected. Sir Edward Baker, having read the article, wrote to me, requesting me to see him at 'Belvedere '. He showed me the article. He said, 'I mean to give a reply to it'. 'My reply' he added, 'is a further grant of Rs. 5,000 to the Ripon College. Write to the Accountant-General and he will give you the money.' That was the character of the man: strong, generous, impulsive, he was one of the staunchest friends of the Ripon College; and it is no exaggeration to say—and I owe it to his honoured memory—that, but for his powerful intervention, the law classes of the Ripon College would not have been saved. Our law library was not well equipped. He made a

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