In 1879 Mr. W. W. Corcoran added to his previous noble benefactions to the University the gift of $50,000, wherewith to endow a school of natural history and geology, which was instituted accordingly. In 1882 was established the school of the English language and literature, which necessitated a change in the subjects taught in the school of history and literature, and it was enacted that that school should thenceforward be known as the school of historical science. Thus it appears that since 1867 the University, maimed and enfeebled as it seemed to have been by the Civil War and its consequences, has added six schools of great value to the thirteen previously existing, and so is enabled to supply the largest and most thorough instruction that the advanced requirements of the country and the times can demand. At present the University consists of nineteen schools, with one or more instructors in each; of these schools, twelve are academic and seven professional; and of the twelve academic schools, six are literary and six scientific. Thus arranged, they may be enumerated as follows: School of Latin, I. r Lit. schools. School of Greek, School of modern languages, School of English language and literature, School of natural philosophy, School of analytical and agricultural chemistry, School of natural history and geology, School of practical astronomy. XI. XII. XIV. g XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. Professional schools. School of anatomy and materia medica, School of common and statute law, School of constitutional and international law, School of mathematics applied to engineering. Medical department, including also chemistry and pharmacy. Law department, engineering department. Agricultural depart ment. Students attend as many of the schools as they think fit, paying a tuition fee for each; but in order to insure that every student shall have his time sufficiently occupied, no one can attend less than three, without leave from the faculty. In this feature is seen Mr. Jefferson's characteristic confidence in the capacity of individuals to determine, each for himself, what is best for him. He thought it safe to submit to the judgment of each student and his friends, the choice of subjects best adapted to the cast of his mind and to his views in life. The system is certainly liable to some grave objections, but it is specially adapted to a university as distinguished from a college, and the results have upon the whole proved eminently favorable. Custom recommends a general order or succession of studies, which experience has approved; but if one, from peculiar circumstances, is led to prefer a different course, he is free to pursue it. One of the chief advantages, however, is found in the effect on the several schools, in stimulating the professors having them in charge to unceasing progress. And it may be observed that of late many institutions of the higher education in the United States have remodelled their methods in accordance with this example. SCHOLARSHIPS. It is only within a recent period that scholarships have existed in the University. The design in instituting them is to encourage sound and advanced learning by assisting the poor to attain to it, and by stimulating those to attempt it to whom such pecuniary aid is not indispensable and yet welcome. Such expedients have been resorted to ever since the revival of learning in the twelfth century, and led to the establishment, throughout western Europe, of great institutions of education. The colleges in the English universities were devised to this end, and were, indeed, simply endowed boarding-houses, with a provision for the "fellows," who were admitted to share their beneficence which, in process of time, by the enhancement in value of the lands bestowed upon them, has become, in modern times, extremely munificent. At present there are in the University four classes of scholarships, namely: (1) University scholarships, (2) free scholarships, (3) Miller scholarships, and (4) alumni scholarships. (1) University scholarships are supplied by the University itself. They are eleven in number, and entitle the successful candidates at a competitive examination to prosecute the studies of one session at the University without the payment of matriculation or tuition fees, and are open to new-comers from all the States at the beginning of each academic year, which at present is October 1st. Of these eleven scholarships five are in the academic department, and two, severally, in the departments of medicine, of law, and of engineering. The examination is uniform for all, and embraces Latin, Greek, mathematics, and English. In order to secure positive attainments, the right is reserved to reject any papers that do not reach the standard required for a distinction at the final examination in junior Latin, junior Greek, and junior mathematics, and do not show a competent acquaintance with the grammatical and rhetorical structure of the English language. (2) Free scholarships.-The board of visitors in 1882 founded three free scholarships, to be called, respectively, the Corcoran scholarship, the McCormick scholarship, and the Vanderbilt scholarship, in commemoration of three of the principal benefactors of the University, the appointments to be made by them respectively, or, if they decline, by the faculty. Each scholarship admits the beneficiary to the University in all the departments, professional as well as academic, free from the payment of matriculation and tuition fees. (3) Miller scholarships.-The agricultural department having been founded upon the liberal benefaction of Samuel Miller, three scholarships have been instituted in that department, and named from the founder, Miller scholarships. The emolument belonging to each is $333.33, and they are bestowed upon such as upon competitive examinations appear to be the most worthy. (4) Alumni scholarships.-These scholarships are founded, some by the Society of Alumni, and some by individuals. The emolument attached to them is various, and the appointments to them rest with the persons who founded them, or with the executive committee of the Society of Alumni. DURATION OF THE SESSION AND OF THE VACATION. The session extends from the 1st day of October to the Wednesday before the 4th day of July, with no break or holiday during that period (Sundays of course excepted), save only one day at Christmas. There is no remission of college exercises even on Saturday, the school-boy's immemorial weekly holiday. The number of working days in the session is therefore about two hundred and thirty-two, which exceeds, it is believed, the number of working days in any collegiate institution in the world. The vacation is of about three months' duration, extending from the Wednesday before the 4th of July to the 1st of October. THE LOCAL ARRANGEMENT AND EQUIPMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY. According to its original design, the University buildings were disposed in four parallel ranges, which, it seems, it was contemplated should be extended indefinitely in both directions, as occasion might require, although the configuration of the ground seems hardly adapted to such a scheme. Their present length is about 600 feet each. The eastern and western ranges look, respectively, towards the east and west, and front upon a broad street, which makes the circuit of the University. They consist of one-story dormitories for students, with an arcade running along the front, of some 12 feet in width, the outer wall of which consists of a series of arches, exhibiting a not unpleas ing effect, reminding one of the cloisters of a monastery. This long range of low structures is broken by wide alleys, giving access to the two interior ranges, and is relieved further by dwellings which rear their roofs somewhat higher than the dormitories, and were originally meant to serve as hotels or boarding-houses for the accommodation of the students, to which use two of them, much enlarged, are still applied, whilst one is the residence of a professor, another of the proctor, and two others are society halls. The two interior ranges front upon a grassy lawn, shaded by trees, and about 200 feet wide. They also consist of one-story dormitories for students, broken by the above-mentioned alleys communicating with the east and west ranges respectively, and agreeably relieved by five houses |