M. Waddington, the - French Minister of Instruction, a Pro- testant,
brought forward the Government University Bill on Saturday, in a speech intended chiefly to minimise the change. He affirmed that the liberty of superior instruction would be left absolutely intact, and that the only liberty interfered with would be that of granting diplomas of degrees, which, under last year's Act, may be granted by a mixed jury of State examiners and examiners appointed by the Free Faculties. lie objected to that, partly because the fairness of such juries was suspected, while the fairness of State examiners never had been ; and partly because the Minister had to sign the diplomas, of whose accuracy he had no complete proof. In future, students passed by the Free Faculties would have to pass also their examination before the State Faculties for granting degrees.
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