y> 
 
 TESTIMOI^IALS 
 
 IN FAVOUR OF 
 
 W. J. ASHLEY M.A. 
 
 PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL ECONOMY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 
 LATE FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. 
 
 A CANDIDATE 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 DRUMMOND PROFESSORSHIP OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 
 
 IN THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. 
 
^ .-: ■^■■■i- 
 
To THE Electors to the Drum'mond Professorship. 
 
 My Lord and Gentlemen : 
 
 I beg to offer myself as a candidate for the Professorship 
 of Political Economy in the University of Oxford. 
 
 I entered Balliol College with a History Scholarship in 
 1878, took a First-Class in the Honour School of Modern 
 History. in 1 881, and received the Lothian Prize in I082. 
 In February, 1885, 1 was elected to a tutorial Fellowship at 
 Lincoln College, and soon afterwards was also appointed 
 Lecturer in Histor}^ in Corpus Christi College. Resigning 
 this position in order to be able to devote my time more 
 exclusively to economic studies, I was appointed Professor 
 of Political Economy and Constitutional History in the 
 University of Toronto in 1888 ; and by the subsequent 
 appointment of an assistant I have recently been enabled 
 to give my whole attention to Economics. 
 
 I began the study of Political Economy under the late 
 Arnold Toynbee, whose Lectures on tlic Industrial lieiw- 
 Intioi' if the iStli Century I afterwards assisted in preparing 
 for publication. I began to lecture on Political Economy 
 in 1884 ; and after my appointment at Lincoln I lectured 
 upon it each year ; in one course stating and criticising 
 Modern Economic Theory, and in another following 
 Economic History and Th:ory in their relation to one 
 another from mediaeval to modern times. I may add that 
 from 1886 to 1 888 I acted as Secretary to the Oxford 
 Economic Society ; and that in 1887 and 1888 I examined 
 in the Pass School of Political Economy. 
 
 Since my arrival at Toronto I have had the task of 
 organizing the new Department of Political Science, a 
 Department which has grown rapidly, and now numbers 
 more than 100 students ; and I have lectured on (i) Ele- 
 mentary Political P^conomy , (2) The History of Economic 
 Theory ; (3) The History of Economic Development ; 
 (4) Modern Finance. In dealing with the last mentioned 
 
2 
 
 subject I have had an opportunity to acquaint myself 
 with the main features of Canadian and American Taxa- 
 tion, Tariffs. Currency, Banking, and similar subjects. 
 I have also undertaken the editorship of the Toronto 
 JJuh'crsity Studies in Political Science, of which the 
 first, on The Ontario Tozunship, has ah-eady appeared. 
 For a further account of my work here I beg to refer 
 you to the subjoined letters from the Chancellor and 
 President of the University, the Minister of Education, 
 the IManac^er of the Bank of Commerce, and from one 
 of my pupils. 
 
 My own researches have hitherto bc^n mainly in the 
 field of Economic History. In 1887 the American Eco- 
 nomic Association published my Early History of the 
 English Woollen Industry. In 1888 appeared the first 
 volume of my Introduction to Economic History and Theory.. 
 which I now beg to lay before you, together with the letters 
 concerning it from English and foreign authorities printed 
 below. 
 
 There are two directions in which, as it appears to me, 
 it is most desirable to promote economic study in Oxford. 
 Of these one is Public Finance ; it might not be impossible 
 to secure for men who are about to enter into public life, 
 the civil service, or the higher branches of business, a train- 
 ing similar to that provided by some foreign Universities. 
 Tne other is the history of Economic Phenomena, and of the 
 parallel growth of Economic Theory. While recognizing 
 the value of recent work in the further analysis of theory, 
 there is, I think, reason to believe that the most fruitful 
 field for economic work at the present time in Oxford is 
 the historical. An effort in this direction would be in 
 sympathy with one of the strongest intellectual forces in 
 the University, and it might reasonably be expected to 
 enlist the interest of students in the School of Modern 
 History. I have the honour to be, 
 
 My Lord and Gentlemen, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 The University of Toronto, \V. J. ASHLEY. 
 
 November 20, 1S90. 
 
3 
 
 From the Hon. Edward Blake, LL.D., O.C, M.P., 
 
 Chaticdior of the University of Toronto, [Minister with- 
 out Portfolio iS-jj-iSj/j., Minister of Justice iSy^-iSyy, 
 President of the Council iSyj-iSyS : Premier of Ontario 
 
 Toronto, Nov. 14, 1890. 
 
 My Dear Professor Ashley. 
 
 I am very sorry in the interests of the University of 
 Toronto to receive your letter announcing your candidature 
 for the Chair of Political Economy at Oxford. But it is 
 most natural that you should desire to return in rl.at 
 capacity to your own University ; and we must not 
 selfishly stand in your way. 
 
 Other duties, as you know, have prevented my acquisi- 
 tion of any detailed or minute knowledge of the working 
 of the department in Toronto. But, as Chancellor of tb' 
 University, I have of course had some opportunity o; 
 gathering the opinion of University circles on the subject 
 And the impression I have derived from the consensus of 
 that opinion is that you have had great success in the 
 arduous task of establishing the new department in which 
 you are Professor ; that you have dealt judiciously with 
 the special difficulties surrounding you growing out of the 
 present tariff policy of Canada ; that you have proved 
 yourself capable not merely of imparting information, but 
 of exciting the zeal and interest of your students, and 
 developing their powers of reasoning and research ; and 
 in a word that you have shewn yourself so fit for the 
 position that your withdrawal from it would be deeply 
 regretted by those interested in the institution. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 EDWARD BLAKE. 
 
From the Hon. G. W. Ross, L.L.D., Minister of Edticatioit 
 for the Province oi Ontario. 
 
 Education Department. 
 
 17th November, 1890. 
 
 My Dear Professor Ashley, 
 
 I regret very much to learn from yoi.r note of the 13th 
 inst., that there is even a remote possibiUty of your sever- 
 ing your connection with the University of Toronto. Your 
 ^pointment to the staff was made under somewhat criti- 
 cal circumstances. I was then organizing a department of 
 political science in the earnest hope that I would be able to 
 afford to the undergraduates of our University a compre- 
 hensive course of training in economics and political phil- 
 osophy, which would fit them for dealing with the many 
 social and constitutional problems which require particular 
 attention in a rapidly expanding country like Canada. 
 You were selected to fill that position from a large list of 
 applicants ; and the responsibility of organizing the de- 
 partment and directing towards it the attention of the 
 undergraduates of the University was committed to your 
 hands. To say that you have succeeded even beyond my 
 most sanguine expectations, is to express very feebly the 
 satisfaction which I feel, after an experience of three years 
 of the manner in which you have filled your chair. If I 
 were to particularize as to your success, I would say that 
 you have aroused an unusual degree of enthusiasm in the 
 study of all social and constitutional questions ; and best 
 of all you have stimulated many to make original research 
 into economic problems of the most interesting and im- 
 portant character. The readiness with which you acquired 
 a knowledge of Canadian history ; of the social condition 
 of our people ; of the development of our institutions, and 
 the various problems which we have solved or attempted to 
 solve of an economic character, has surprised many of us. 
 Besides I have noticed with much pleasure the interest 
 which you took in educational matters not immediately 
 
connected with your professional duties, and the kindly 
 efforts put forth by you to bring the advantages of an 
 elementary education to the homes of those who from 
 poverty or vice seemed to be indifferent to the obligations 
 of citizenship. 
 
 I cannot, therefore, in view of our personal and official 
 relation, but reiterate my regret at even the possibility of 
 your retirement from the Chair of Economics and Political 
 Science ; and I am quite sure that were the opportunity 
 offered, every professor and undergraduate of the Uni- 
 versity would give expression to a similar sentiment. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 G. W. ROSS. 
 
6 
 
 From Sir Daniel Wilson, LL.D., President oj the 
 
 University of Toronto. 
 
 My Lord and Gentlemen, 
 
 I beg leave very respectfully to submit to you a state- 
 ment on behalf of Protessor W. J. Ashley, as a candidate 
 for the Chair of Political Economy. Professor Ashley was 
 appointed to the Chair of Political Economy and Constitu- 
 tional History in the University of Toronto, in 1888, and 
 has won the most favourable opinion of the authorities by 
 his devotion to his duties, and by his success as a teacher. 
 
 On his arrival in Canada, Professor Ashley had entrusted 
 to him the responsible task of organizing a new Depart- 
 ment ; in the accomplishment of which he has successfully 
 encountered the special difficulties of a subject closely 
 related to the questions of party politics. 
 
 As a teacher, Professor Ashley has been highly success- 
 ful in stimulating the more adva^iced students to study 
 matters of public policy from a scientific point of view. 
 Coming as a stranger here, he has shown quick aptitude 
 in mastering in their special Canadian aspects, the com- 
 prehensive subjects of currency and banking, taxation, 
 public debts, and public works. He has already con- 
 ciliated the favour of bankers and business men ; and 
 awakened in them a conviction of the practical value of 
 higher education. 
 
 By his courtesy, no less than his devotion to the work 
 of his professorship, Professor Ashley has commended 
 himself to his colleagues no less than to his students. 
 While heartily desiring his success in every object of 
 honourable ambition, I should greatly regret the loss of 
 his services as a member of the Faculty of this University. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 My Lord and Gentlemen, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 DANIEL WILSON. 
 
 Toronto, 13th Nov., 1890. 
 
From J. M. McEvov, Esq., B.A., Felloiv in Political 
 Science in the University of Toronto. 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 During my undergraduate course in Toronto University 
 the work which I made my specialty was done chiefly 
 under the guidance of Professor W. Ashley. His assist- 
 ance, direction, and sympathy were most valuable to me, 
 and to all the men of the Political Science Department. 
 He was able to inspire his classes with a strong desire for 
 original research as well as ? surprising diligence and 
 honesty in accomplishing th_..i. work. By his lectures and 
 through the Seminary he succeeded in driving all the 
 rancor of political party feeling, which is so prevalent here» 
 from the minds of his students, and in getting them to 
 bring to the study of all political questions calm and un- 
 biassed judgment. The scientific and unprejudiced manner 
 in which he has taught a number of young Canadians to 
 view political questions is sure to have an important bene- 
 ficial influence upon the development of political opinion 
 in this country. 
 
 The various courses of lectures which he has delivered, 
 were of great value and assistance to me. His lectures 
 on the growth of economic theory were especially use- 
 ful. The connection which he was able to establish 
 between the economic condition of the various countries 
 where economic theories have arisen, and the theories 
 which were then and there propounded, made a remark- 
 able impression on the minds of his students. We were 
 brought to look at the whole subject of Political Economy 
 from a new and much more practical standpoint. The 
 very natural result of such teaching was that nearly IsVery 
 man who took the lectures began to look about him and 
 consider our own theories of politics, industry and trade, 
 and to bring his judgment to bear on the urgent question 
 whether they are or are not in keeping with our present 
 circumstances. 
 
8 
 
 This spirit of enquiry received great encouragement and 
 direction from him in the " Political Science Seminary" 
 which was established by him, and the example of which 
 is being followed in the other Departments of our own 
 University as well as in at least one other University in 
 the Dominion. In this ' Seminary,' students were assigned 
 subjects into which they were induced to make, under his 
 guidance, original research and to prepare papers embody- 
 ing the result of their work. It is generally felt by the 
 members of the class with which I graduated that as large 
 advantages were reaped from what we learned of the 
 manner in which original work in economics can and 
 should be done through the direction of Prof. Ashley in 
 this Seminary, as were received through any other medium 
 of University training. 
 
 His lectures on Public Finance were very helpful. In 
 these he laid down and sustained what he considered to 
 be the principles which should govern the administration 
 of national and local public finance. The lectures were 
 prepared with immediate reference to our Dominion, 
 Provincial, and Municipal financial management, but the 
 general principles were first worked out and then applied 
 to our peculiar circumstances. He was able to compass 
 the difiicult task of thus discussing burning questions of 
 public finance without exciting the slightest party feeling. 
 
 He is a man of strong character and personal magnet- 
 ism which have had an influence upon me and others of 
 the younger graduates, for which we are extremely grate- 
 ful. 
 
 J. M. McEVOY. 
 
9 
 
 From B. E. Walker, Esq., General Manager oj the 
 Canadian Bank of Commerce. 
 
 The Canadian Bank of Commerce, 
 15 th November, 1890. 
 
 I was fortunate enough to become acquainted with Mr. 
 Ashley soon after his arrival in Toronto, and I have been 
 very pleased to notice that in considering the many 
 features in connection with business, politics, education, 
 social and economic conditions, etc., in Canada, he has 
 been quite free from the bias which might be expected in 
 one whose stock of ascertained facts had been acquired 
 elsewhere. He has appeared only anxious to learn the 
 real significance of new facts^ no matter how inconsistent 
 with previously recorded experience ; and his zeal, open- 
 ness of mind, and readiness to grasp the political, financial, 
 and business problems we have to deal with, have been 
 warmly appreciated by all Canadians who know him. 
 
 But we value, if possible, more highly still the strong 
 sense Mr. Ashley has shewn of the necessity of closer 
 relations between the University and the business world. 
 His earnest work in this direction has already produced 
 practical results, and is certain to increase largely the 
 usefulness of the University of Toronto. 
 
 B. WALKER. 
 
10 
 
 From Dr. Karl Knies, Professor of Political Economy 
 in the University of Heidelberg. 
 
 Heidelberg, 2 November, 1890. 
 
 Wertester Herr College. 
 
 Auf Ihre gefallige Zuschrift vom 16 October mbchte 
 ich sofort erwiedern, dass es mich sehr freuen vviirde, wenn 
 man Ihnen den durchden Tod Thorold Rogers' erledigten 
 Lehrstuhl fiir politische Oekonomie iibertragen w'lirde. 
 Ich bin iiberzeugt, man vviirde diese Wahl nicht zu bereuen 
 haben. Lin guter Professor muss ein guter Lehrer und cin 
 tiichtiger Forscher und Producent in seiner Wissenschaft 
 sein. Nach meiner £rinnerung an die personliche Begeg- 
 nung mit Ihnen zvveifle ich nicht an Ihrer Lehrgabe. Und 
 die beiden, in meinem Besitz befindlichen Druckschriften, 
 der erste Band Ihrer " Introduction to EngHsh economic 
 histor}' and theory," und die in den PubHcations of the 
 American economic Association — Sept., 1887 — verofifent- 
 lichte " P-arly history of the EngHsh woollen industry," 
 geben ja doch ein schones Zeugnis von dem Werte und der 
 gesunden Richtung Ihrer wissenschaftlichen Production. 
 Lassen Sie mich deshalb mit dem Ausdruck der Hoffnung 
 schliesscn, dass Sie Ihren dauernden Wohnsitz in das 
 Europaische England verlegen kdnnen, und mich von dort 
 aus bald vvieder einmal mit einem persbnlichen Besuche 
 €rfreuen werden. 
 
 Hochachtungsvoll ergebenst, 
 
 KARL KNIES. 
 
11 
 
 From Dr. Gustav Schmoller, Professor of Political 
 Eco7toviy in the Ufiiversity of Berlin; Member of the 
 Prussian Staatsrath. 
 
 Berlin, Wormserstrasse 13. 
 den 29th October, 1890. 
 
 Herr Prof. W. J. Ashley, ist mir persbnlich zvvar gar 
 nicht, wohl aber durch seine Arbeiten aus dem Gebiete der 
 englischen Wirthschaftsgeschichte bekannt. Ich schatze 
 sie urn so hbher, je mehr England auf diesem Gebiete 
 neuerdings weit hinter den andern Kulterstaaten zuriick- 
 geblieben ist. Selbst die Arbeiten von Rogers leiden 
 daran dass sie nur Sammlungen zur historischen Statistik, 
 nicht Darstellungen der historischen Entvvickelung volks- 
 wirthschaftlicher Einrichtungen sind. Ich hofife, dass Mr. 
 Ashley derjenige sein wird, der diese nicht bios fiir Eng- 
 land, sondern fiir die Wissenschaft der ganzen Welt emp- 
 findliche LUcke ausfiillen wird ; er besitzt dazu diejenige 
 historische und volkswirthschaftliche methodische Schu- 
 lung, den kombinatorischen Geist,den Fleiss, die Kenntniss 
 der Leistungen ai.ierer Liinder welche unumgarglich 
 nothwendig sind um auf diesem Gebiete Grosses zu leisten. 
 
 G. SCHMOLLER. 
 
12 
 
 From Dr. Lujo Brentano, Professor of Political 
 Economy in the University of Leipzig. 
 
 Leipzig, Bismarckstrasse 6, 
 November 2nd, 1890. 
 
 Dear Professor Ashley, 
 
 As I hear from you, that you intend to become a can- 
 didate for the chair of Political Economy at Oxford, which 
 has just been rendered vacant by the death of Thorold 
 Rogers, I should like to express to you my good wishes 
 for your success. 
 
 When I was in England (186S), a young man of 23-24 
 years, there was nobody in England who knew anything 
 about English Economic History. It was then that I was 
 pressed to write the essay on the history of gilds, which 
 served as introduction to my book on Trades Unions. 
 
 Since then there has come an economico-historical school 
 into existence; and though I certainly know the faults in the 
 said essay better than those who nowadays assail it whilst 
 making other faults than mine, it was always a special 
 pleasure to me to think that that essay might have con- 
 tributed to give rise to the existence of the said school in 
 England. Mr. Ludlow told me that he had given various 
 of my books to Mr. Toynbee, when he was residing at 
 Wimbledon, and I was gratified to find many of my views 
 in the book which was published after Toynbee's death. 
 
 Now, as you are Toynbee's disciple, I have always 
 rejoiced to be in some way in a bond of parental relation- 
 ship to you too, and have followed with great pleasure the 
 progress which you have made in your books. 
 
 If that essay on gilds was to be written nowadays, you 
 English certainly would not have need to apply to a foreign 
 lad of 24. Now you have Mr. Cunningham and yourself. 
 
 Of course you do not suppose that I quite agree with you 
 in all the views which you have brought forward in your 
 Economical History. But that would not be a fair test. 
 Just as I have changed very many of the views which I 
 
13 
 
 had when writing that essay on gilds, you will yourself 
 on a subject, the investigation of which is so young, 
 change your present views when you are growing older. 
 But I acknowledge to have learned much from your works, 
 and I acknowledge that you have investigated the ques- 
 tions in a true scientific spirit, and with the proper 
 methods. At the same time I was gratified to find in 
 your writings the elevated views which distinguished 
 Toynbee. 
 
 Now as I know of no disciple of Toynbee's who has 
 come to such eminence by his writings as you have, I think 
 the University of Oxford which cherishes the memory of 
 that excellent man, cannot but give to your claim a fair 
 consideration. 
 
 I should be exceedingly happy to see you there as Pro- 
 fessor. Indeed England must get you back, as she has 
 not too many who are able to do the scientific work in 
 I'xonomic History which has so long been neglected. 
 
 Most truly yours, 
 
 L. BRENTANO. 
 
14 
 
 FrotK M. Emile DE Laveleye, Professor of Political 
 Economy in the University of Liege; Corresponding 
 Member of the Institute de France. 
 
 J'estime que M. Ashley, actuellement professeur 
 d'Economie Politique a I'Universit^ de Toronto a tous les 
 litres pour occuper la place laiss^e vacante par la mort du 
 regrette Thorold Rogers. Ses etudes I'ont porte dans la 
 voie ou s'est engagee rEconomie Politique depuis quelques 
 annexes, et ou Rogers a rendu de si grands services a la 
 Science, a savoir les Principes Economiques consideres au 
 point de vue de I'iiistoire. II me parait qu'un semblable 
 enseignement est tout specialement indique pour I'uni- 
 versite d'Oxford ou I'etude de I'histoire a toujours eu tant 
 d'^clat. 
 
 Outre une etude historique sur le developpement de 
 certaines industries en Angleterre, publiee precedemment, 
 M. Ashley a communique a la derniere Session de la 
 British Association a Leeds un travail tres remarque ayant 
 pour titre Agricultural changes in England during the 
 period 1^50-16^0, completant les admirables chapitres de 
 Rogers sur Ic meme sujet. 
 
 A Toronto il s' est occupe (independamment d'un cours 
 ^l^mentaire) de 1' histoire des doctrines economiques et du 
 developpement des Finances. 
 
 Chose excellente et qui manque, je pense, a Oxford, il a 
 fondd et dirig^ un Seminaire d'economie politique a I'ex- 
 emple de ce qui s' est fait en Allemagne et aussi avec tant 
 de succes a la Johns Hopkins University de Baltimore. 
 On y reunit des jeunes gens qui ont le goilt de 1' etude, et 
 lis travaillent sous I'oeil et avec I'aide du maitre a des 
 compositions et dissertations ; ce qui constitue une prepar- 
 ation infiniment superieure a celle que peut donner un 
 cours. C'est une transformation complete dans le methode 
 de r enseignement ; mais pour 1' appliquer avec fruit il faut 
 que le Professeur y ait et^ lui-meme initie d^ja, ce qui est 
 le cas pour M. Ashley. 
 
 EMILE DE LAVELEYE. 
 Argenteau, 29 Oct., 1890. 
 
15 
 
 From the Jahrbuch fur Gesetzgebung und Volks- 
 WIRTHSCHAFT ini Deutscketi Reich. New Series XIII,, 
 Part I., p. 424, in a Review by Dr. K. Oldenberg of the 
 ' Economic History.' 
 
 " Der Titel sagt, das Buch wolle eine '"' Einfiih- 
 
 rung " geben ; und diese Aufgabe erflillt es in mustergil- 
 tiger Weise. Der Verfasser beherrscht nicht nur Ouellen 
 und Litteratur seiner mannigfachen Themata voUkommen, 
 sondern weiss auch den verwickelten Stoff abersichtlich 
 und klar, das wiclitige und charakteristische treffend, in 
 gefalliger F'orm darzustellen. Der Leser vertraut bald 
 mit einem gewissen Behagen den eigenen Gedankengang 
 seiner autoritativen Flihrung an, ohre viel korrigiren zu 
 miissen. In der Hauptsache scheint Ashley nicht originale 
 Forschungsergebnisse vorzutragen ; aber er durchdringt 
 diefremdenGedanken mit wissenschaftlichemVerstandniss, 
 hat iiberall die Ouellen selbst gepriift, und vielfach im 
 einzelnen neue Gesichtspunkte aufgebracht oder einen 
 neuen Beleg gefunden. Zwischen divergirenden Meinun- 
 gen pflegt er zu vermitteln, und auf diese Art den Leser 
 mit lien Vorziigen beider bekannt zu machen ; so ist das 
 Buch eine fast ideal zu nennende Kodifikation der neueren 
 Forschungen." 
 
IG 
 
 From Dr. Gustav Cohn, Professot of Political Economy 
 in the University of Gottingen. 
 
 Gottingen, Nov. i, 1890. 
 
 Dear Professor Ashley. 
 
 It is with much pleasure that I comply with your request 
 to state the most favorable impression received from your 
 writings, and — as far as your publications show — from the 
 work you are doing in the University of Toronto. 
 
 I share your opinion that to bring Economics into 
 sympathy with the study of History is a good means of 
 reviving the study of Economics, and of giving it a place 
 of importance as an academic discipline. 
 
 I have no doubt but you will be able to fill the vacant 
 chair of political economy in the University of Oxford, in 
 case it should be offered to you, in an excellent way, and 
 to give a new impetus to the study of Economics in Oxford. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 G. COHN. 
 
17 
 
 From //^^ jAHRBiicHER FUR NATIONALOKONOMIE UND 
 Statistik, vol. xviii., p. 672, in a review by Dr. BOHM- 
 Bawerk, late Professor of Political Economy in the 
 Uuiversity of Innsbruck, and now of the Austrian Min- 
 istry of Finan^". 
 
 Eine andere Frucht derneuen Schule ist Ashley's 
 
 " Einfuhrung in die englische Wirthschaftsgeschichte und 
 Tlieorie." Bis vor Kurzem haben uberwiegend deutsche 
 Forscher die englische Wirthschaftsgeschichte geschrie- 
 ben. Es ist eben so angemessen als erfreulich dass der 
 heimische Stoff nunmehr auch von heimischen Forschern 
 bearbeitet vvird, und dies in ungemein tiichtiger Weise 
 
18 
 
 From Frederick Seebohm, Esq. 
 
 The Hermitage, Hitchin, 
 2 November, 1890. 
 Dear Sir, 
 I think the modest character of your little volumes need 
 not prevent you relying to some extent upon them. I 
 think they have been deservedly appreciated. 
 
 Your view that at Oxford economic work should be 
 chiefly in the direction of social history and of economic 
 theory in its historial development, rather than in purely 
 scientific or speculative economics commends itself to my 
 judgment. 
 
 That you are "junior " is by no means against you, and 
 I am. sure that your approaching economics and economic 
 history with an open mind instead of having to spend 
 your time in defending what you wrote twenty years ago 
 is all to the POod also. 
 
 But while I say all this, I feel that my knowledge of 
 Oxford and Oxford men is so small that it would be quite 
 wrong of me to express an opinion as to the relative 
 merits of one that I know something of as against others 
 that I do not know. Indeed I do not in the least know 
 who the other candidates may be. 
 
 That your appointment to the vacant professorship 
 would end in much good work being done all who know 
 your work will be, I think, confident. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 F. SEEBOHM. 
 
19 
 
 From F. W. Maitland, Esq , M.A., Professor of English 
 Law in the University of Cambridge. 
 
 The West Lodge, 
 
 Downing College, Cambridge, 
 29th Oct., 1890. 
 
 Dear Professor Ashley. 
 
 I very heartily wish you success in your candidature for 
 the chair at Oxford. Your appointment would be a great 
 encouragement to students of economic history, a branch 
 of learning which still has to struggle for adequate recogni- 
 tion. I feel that it would be absurd were I to write a 
 formal testimonial in your favour, as there are many things 
 which a professor of Political Economy must teach of 
 which I know less than nothing. Still if you think that 
 there would be the least use in my testifying to the value 
 of your book to students of mediaeval life and mediaeval 
 law, you are at liberty to send this letter to the electors. 
 I have often to recommend your book as containing the 
 best sketch of the manorial system as it really was, an 
 admirable statement of the practical meaning that our old 
 land law had for those who lived under it. The use that 
 you have made of first hand evidence concerning the con- 
 dition of the peasantry of the middle ages seems to me 
 thoroughly sound, and I have long hoped that the little 
 book was the precursor of a larger treatise. 
 
 Believe me, 
 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 F. W. MAITLAND. 
 
■2{i 
 
 From Augustus Jessopp, D.D. 
 
 Professor W. J. Ashley informs me that he intends to 
 offer himself as a Candidate for the Chair of Political 
 Economy now vacant in the University of Oxford, and 
 asks me to express my opinion of his fitness for such a 
 post. 
 
 I should rejoice to see Mr. Ashley elected to this Pro- 
 fessorship, because he appears to me a thoughtful and 
 laborious student who has marked out for himself an 
 original line, and has given promise of being able to lift 
 the Science of Political Economy from the arid region of 
 mere statistics to a higher level, and correlate it with the 
 Sciences of History and Ethics. 
 
 As the master of a brilliant style — as a sagacious inter- 
 preter of great movements in the past which throw light 
 upon some difficult questions of taxation and finance in 
 the present — as a patient and philosophic enquirer in 
 whom the judicial faculty is strong enough to keep in 
 check the passion for theory — Mr. Ashley has already won 
 his spurs ; but he has a career before him. 
 
 An enthusiast with immense power of work, Mr. Ashley, 
 if he be elected to this Professorship, cannot fail to exer- 
 cise a powerful influence upon Oxford studies ; and he is 
 not unlikely, sooner or later, to gather round him a School 
 of Economists with whose researches the historians of the 
 future will have to reckon. 
 
 AUGUSTUS JESSOPP. 
 
 Scarning, 2nd November, 1890. 
 
21 
 
 From Dr. E. R. A. Seligmax, Professcr of Political 
 Economy in Columbia College, New York. One of the 
 Editors oj the Political Science Quarterly. 
 
 Columbia College, 
 New York, Nov. 15, 1890. 
 
 My Dear Ashley. 
 
 I understand that you intend to put yourself forward as 
 a candidate for the Oxford professorship. I sincerely 
 hope that you rr. ly be successful. I shall be glad if any 
 words of mine will be of any help. Your work certainly 
 entitles you to the place. I know of no English econo- 
 mist, likely to be a candidate, who possesses the same 
 qualifications. The essays which you wrote for our Politi- 
 cal Science Quarterly attracted wide attention, and my 
 colleagues agree with me in thinking that they are among 
 the very ablest contributions made to our pages. Your 
 Economic History marks, I think, a distinctly new depar- 
 ture in the history of English economics. Whatever pro- 
 gress economic science has made in the past few decades 
 is due primarily to the work of the historical and compar- 
 ative school, and I think it no flattery to say that you are 
 by all means the ablest representative of that school among 
 English economists. 
 
 Your history of the Woollen Industry published by our 
 American Economic Association received most favourable 
 notices both here and abroad, especially in Germany and 
 Italy. It is, I think, almost the only English work in the 
 history of economics at all comparable to the recent pro- 
 ductions of the Germans. You have the immense advan- 
 tage of being a thorough student of economics, as well as 
 of history ; and you possess, more than most of your English 
 compeers, the faculty of turning your economic training to 
 the investigation of practical problems of the day. Valu- 
 able as the recent work of the English economists un- 
 doubtedly is, it seems almost completely to lack any 
 representative of that element which has done so much 
 
22 
 
 to give fresh life and interest to economic study in the 
 rest of Europe ; the element, namely, which is represented 
 by the historical school. What is needed in England to 
 make the future of the science worthy of its glorious past 
 is an infusion of this new blood of the historical school, 
 and I sincerely hope that Oxford will promote the study 
 of economics by honoring itself and honoring you. 
 
 We Americans shall be sorry to lose so powerful an 
 assistant from our ranks ; but if it will serve as an impetus 
 to the progress of economic thought in England, and to 
 the more active and fruitful cooperation of the economists 
 of both countries, as it surely must, no one will rejoice 
 more heartily than 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 EDWIN R. A. SELIGMAN. 
 
From Dr. Luigi Cossa, Professor of Political Economy 
 in the University of Pavia. 
 
 Universite de Pavia, Italic, 
 10 Novembre, 1890. 
 
 Monsieur et tres honore CollkctUE. 
 
 C'est avec le plus grand plaisir, et pourtant avec la plus 
 scrupuleuse impartialite, que, suivan: votre desir, je vous 
 autorise a communiquer a qui vous croirez convenable, que 
 je fais grand cas du complexc de vos travaux scientifiques 
 sur r economie politique, et particulierement de ceux sur 
 la Early History of the English IVoollen Industry, et du i*" 
 volume de votre English Economic History and Theory, 
 dont j' attends avec la plus vive impatience la continuation. 
 Je suis d'opinion que le profondeur de votre doctrine, la 
 diligence de vos recherches, le bonte de votre critique, et 
 la clarte elegante de 1' exposition vous rendejit tres digne 
 d' occuper al' University d' Oxford lachairerestee vacante 
 par le mortdu Prof. J. E. Thorold Rogers, dont vous imitcz 
 r ardeur pour les recherches sur 1' histoire economique de 
 votre patrie. 
 
 Agreez, mon cher Collegue, 1' assurance de mon amitie. 
 
 LUIGI COSSA. 
 
From M. Paul Vinogradoff, Professor of History in 
 the University of Moscow. 
 
 Moscow, November i, 1890. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I am glad to be of any service to you, and sliould be 
 proud if my appreciation could help you in attaining a 
 position for which you are undoubtdly the fittest person. 
 I hope the lines I send you may not come too late to be 
 presented , 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 P. Vinogradoff. 
 
 Professor W. J. Ashley's work in the line of economic 
 and social history deserves high praise, and gives great 
 promise. The monograph on the English Woollen indus- 
 try arrives at important results by means of an original 
 and careful investigation. As to the volume on English 
 Economic History, its well-known success is not only due, 
 in my opinion, to a very remarkable gift of clear and con- 
 victing expo.sition ; but also to the thoughtful way in 
 which the much-debated questions as to medieval arrange- 
 ments have been treated. Mr. Ashley intends to give 
 only a general outline of the subject ; and still he has suc- 
 ceeded in making his book much more than a compilation, 
 or a popular statement of other people's ideas. The key 
 to the achievement seems to lie in the fact that the con- 
 flicting theories of Nasse, Seebohon, and Rogers have 
 been digested into a general form which gives them unity 
 and completeness. Breadth of view is certainly required 
 to make such an attempt at all successful ; and the author's 
 well-grounded information as to continental literature may 
 have contributed powerfully to enlarge his conceptions. 
 
 PAUL VINOGRADOFF.