every sense of the word,
imposing no test upon Professors or Students. In thus applying the term
liberal he wished it distinctly to be understood that he was not
conveying the charge of illiberality against those noble and venerable
Institutions of the Mother Country, in which a test was properly exacted
of conformity to the National Religion, but there were local
circumstances which required local adaptation; and according both to the
terms of the will and the provisions of the Royal Charter, all offices
whatever in McGill College were left freely open either to Protestants
or Roman Catholics, and Students of all denominations would be permitted
to attend. He deemed it necessary for him to explain how the present
Professors happened all to be members of the Church of England. When
found necessary to name Professors in virtue of the Charter of the
College, his late father, then Bishop of the Diocese, had submitted
several names to His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie for these offices,
among which those of the Rev. Archdeacon Strachan and the Rev. Dr.
Harkness, having been proposed as eligible, either one or the other, to
the same Professorship, His Excellency, whether swayed by a feeling of
delicacy and desire to avoid the appearance of partiality, on account of
his being himself a member of the Church of Scotland, or from whatever
cause, decided in favour of the former gentleman. This circumstance was
mentioned in proof that the original as well as the present intention of
the Governors was in all respects to shew due respect to the intentions
of the will of Mr. McGill and the terms of the Charter. It had been
deemed necessary for the present to declare that the Professors should
be graduates of some British University, but that a preference should
hereafter be shown to those who had graduated within its walls. The
Governors would feel it to be their duty under all discouraging
obstacles to push on the great undertaking, and never to cease in their
exertions for its prosperity. They hoped they would meet with general
support and they trusted with confidence that they would be assisted by
all, when the very liberal terms of the will and Charter were
considered. It would be necessary for them to make a strong and powerful
appeal to the Mother Country, and they also expected great pecuniary
assistance from those resident near the establishment, and more directly
interested in its prosperity. They would as soon as possible