he Governors gave
to the city free of charge land for the opening of streets "on condition
that all the College property shall be entirely exempt from every sort
of assessment until it shall have been sold." Land for the opening up of
University Street had been given in 1851. The Streets now provided for
were Union Avenue, between Dorchester and St. Catherine Streets; McGill
College Avenue; Burnside Place; Victoria, Mansfield, St. Catherine,
Cathcart, Dorchester, and Monique Streets. It was stipulated that
Victoria Street and McGill College Avenue "should not be opened, for the
present, higher than Burnside Place."

But notwithstanding the Governors' efforts, the University was still far
from adequate prosperity. It was not yet in a flourishing condition and
its outlook while hopeful was not wholly auspicious. Greater
co-operation on the part of the public was obviously needed, and the
contemporary press frequently deplored the lack of public encouragement.
There was peace and concord in its administration, but there was little
advancement in its academic activities. It was clear that it had either
to go forward or to cease to function. It was plain, too, that in
addition to funds a new Principal and several instructors should be
appointed as expeditiously as possible. The Governors, it was rumoured,
were looking abroad for a Principal; they were also, it was said,
considering the reorganising of the College on the plan of English
Universities. Neither of these suggested procedures was popular, and
neither was in the end followed. In August, 1854, one of the
contemporary newspapers, the _Sun_, which has long since disappeared, in
referring to the needs of the University voiced editorially the opinions
of the people:

"All we need," it said, "are persons at the helm who will take an
_active interest_ in the progress and advancement of the institution....
It won't do to sit idly down--to follow the dignified and majestic
example of Cambridge and Oxford. Montreal is not in England--it is in
Canada. We have a way of doing things for ourselves. It is not necessary
in order rightly to accomplish an end to ask how they do it 'at home';
we can find out a mode ourselves. McGill College will never be anything
until some exertion is made by those who have control of it. A languid
indifference or a sickly half-dead interest will never secure to it a
permanency among the institutions of the day"; and the writer added that
"unless