§ 87. Mr. WALTER GUINNESSasked the President of the Board of Education whether members of the Board of Education's Advisory Committee have expressed to him their opinions on the subject of the treatment and tenure of professors at Bristol University in general, and of the treatment of Professor Cowl in particular; whether any of their number has discussed the matter with the Vice-Chancellor or any other authorities; whether it has been admitted that Professor Cowl's dismissal was a mistake, but that paucity of funds prevented the University from offering Mr. Cowl suitable redress; whether he has requested the chairman of the Advisory Committee to make any further inquiries; if so, with what result; and whether he will order an investigation of all the circumstances which led to Professor Cowl's dismissal?
§ 88. Major ARCHER-SHEEasked the President of the Board of Education whether Professor Cowl was dismissed from the chair of English literature in the summer of 1910 by the Bristol University Council on the strength of a report by the Finance Committee of that non-academic body; whether the senate recommended by a large majority that the Finance Committee's proposal should not be put in force; whether he is aware that the allegations made against the conduct of his 423 Department by Professor Cowl were never investigated, and that Professor Cowl was never given any opportunity of appearing before the council to rebut them; that the Vice-Chancellor throughout the proceedings persistently refused to express any opinion as to the truth or falsity of those allegations, saying that no complaints had been made to him; and, seeing that letters written by outside scholars and professors in Professor Cowl's defence were never publicly read at the council, will he say what action he proposes to take?
Mr. PEASEI have no official information on the subject referred to. I have communicated to my Advisory Committee on University Grants certain statements forwarded to me, and I think I may properly leave it to their discretion to make such inquiries as they may think fit. The tenure and status of professors is to be specially considered by the Committee before the next assessment of Grant in 1916. I may refer the hon. Members to the answers I gave on the subject to the hon. Member for Hoxton on the 10th February last. The action on the part of the university authorities, of which complaint is made, occurred more than two years ago.
§ Mr. WALTER GUINNESSMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has not seen a copy of a letter addressed to Professor Gerothwold threatening him, unless he apologises to the senate before the end of this week, for his action in drawing attention to these matters in the public Press, and whether he is aware that Professor Gerothwold before writing these letters had more than a month ago approached the council and had no answer from that body on the subject?
§ Mr. GUINNESSWill the right hon. Gentleman look into the matter?
Mr. PEASEI will look into it, but matters which occurred two and a half years ago before this Advisory Committee was appointed for the distribution of Grants concerned the old university college, but not the university to which the Committee now distribute the Grants, and therefore I do not think that it is a subject into which I can inquire at any great length.
§ Mr. GUINNESSIs not this a matter of great importance, seeing that Professor Gerothwold may be called before the senate next Saturday and share the same fate as Professor Cowl?