style, tone, and management of the university will there be any real progress, and the centripetal influence of successful Melbourne is so strong, that I do not believe Sydney will ever be able to catch up lost ground, or even to considerably decrease the interval between itself and its rival, advance though it may, and undoubtedly will, when the present governing body has died out, and the public insists upon an entirely new regime.  As for the Adelaide University, it is bound either to federate with Melbourne on the best terms it can obtain, or to drag on in extravagant grandeur.  In five years of existence it has conferred five degrees at a cost of L50,000, and the professors threaten to outnumber the students.  The vaulting ambition of the little colony has somewhat o’erleaped itself; but by a federation with Melbourne there would undoubtedly be practical benefit gained, and little but sham glory lost.  If Sydney would also forego its jealousy, and acknowledge the success of its rival by federating on a basis which should allow the Melbourne University the position of prima inter pares, all colonies would profit; but even if Sydney would federate—­which I do not think in the least probable—­it could hardly expect its successful confrere to meet it on terms of perfect equality, especially as, comparatively speaking, Melbourne has little to gain by federation.

As regards the cost of secondary and higher education, it must be considered exceedingly small, remembering that the value of money is less here than at home; and that the salaries paid to masters are from L50 to L200 a year higher than the same men would obtain in England.  The highest terms for boarders at any secondary school are L80 per annum, and from L50 to L60 is the usual charge.  Day-boys pay from L12 to L24, according to the school.  The University fees are very light, amounting to not more than L20 to L30 a year, including all charges.

As the Universities are purely teaching and examining bodies, with but little control outside their walls, the religious denominations are beginning to supply the want of a college system such as obtains at Oxford and Cambridge, by founding affiliated colleges in which the regime approximates as closely to that of the English Universities as the circumstances of the case allow.  At Melbourne there are two of these colleges—­Trinity College, belonging to the Church of England, and Ormond College, erected at the cost of some L70,000, and richly endowed by a wealthy colonist, Mr. Ormond, belonging to the Presbyterians.  At Sydney, the Roman Catholics, the Church of England, and the Presbyterians, have all three erected affiliated colleges, but they are smaller and less successful than those at Melbourne, and in a large measure serve merely as theological colleges for training young men for the ministry.  The Church of England in Adelaide has also founded St. Barnabas College, where, however, the relative importance of the two duties is reversed—­the