We believe it is generally known that Professor de Morgan,
one of the greatest living mathematicians, and certainly far the ablest living thinker and teacher on the logic of mathematics, has resigned his chair in University College, London, in consequence of the recent decision arrived at by the Council of that body to reject Professor Martineau's candidature for the chair of Intellectual Philo- sophy and Logic on the ground of his denominational repu- tation. This is, as we explained last week, in the opinion of many of the best friends of the College, a clear deser- tion of the principle of strict religious equality on which it was founded. The last professor to this chair was an orthodox Presby- terian minister, then, and for some time afterwards, in the exercise
of his profession. The recent candidate, though his claims were on all hands admitted to be superlative, both as thinker and teacher, —he had sent up to the University of London's M.A. Exami- nation in Intellectual Philosophy three gold medallists, and another of the rank of gold medallists, from amongst a very small number of pupils,—was rejected because he was a Unitarian minister in a like position. Professor de Morgan, if we are rightly informed, shares the disgust which almost all the oldest and beet supporters of the College feel, and declines to serve longer an institution which has lost its raison d'être. If he goes, it will be a serious blow to the College,—indeed the Faculty of Arts will lose its only celebrated, and very deservedly celebrated, teacher. We understand, however, that an effort is likely to be made at a special Court of Proprietors to bring to their senses the majority of the Council,—those enthusiasts for the cast-off bigotry of others, who have entered into an ill omened coalition with the enthusiasts for studying Cerebration in the place of Thought.
