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Srfc: Rev. Robert Patterson, D. D., a Presbyterian 
 clergyman resident in Oakland, in a communication 
 published in the New York Evangelist of August 21,' 
 1873, makes some statements over his own signature 
 which deserve notice, in so far as they relate to the 
 University of California. 
 
 However strong may be his preferences for a Pres- 
 byterian college, it is obvious that Dr. Patterson is 
 either misinformed or uninformed on the subject which 
 he discusses, for he could not have intentionally de- 
 parted from the truth. 
 
 After an unauthorized declaration that the State 
 University has resigned to the Presbyterian church 
 "the City of San Franfeisoo, and has located itself 
 away out on t/ie prairie across the bay, about twelve 
 
 miles out of town," he adds this sentence. ' The State 
 University by its constitution is debarred from religion . 
 At its recent commencement exercises the name of God 
 was not spoken ; no prayer was offered ; nor was any 
 reference made in any of the young men's speeches to 
 moral or religious ideas. Now, even an athiest does 
 not desire his boy to be trained a materialist." 
 
 Allow me to say that the University of California 
 celebrated its recent commencement at Berkeley, July 
 16, 1873. Its exercises were opened by a prayer of- 
 fered up by Rev. S. H. Willey, a Presbyterian clergy- 
 man of Santa Cruz; two addresses were made by young 
 men, one of them a brief Latin salutatory, which gave 
 but little scope for religious or moral ideas; the other 
 was by a young man of Hebrew origin, a thoughtful 
 comparison of ancient and modern culture; the Presi- 
 dent of the University in bestowing the degrees, in- 
 voked upon the young men, " the blessing of Almighty 
 God," and warned them [against " dishonesty, selfish- 
 ness and sloth;" the concluding address was written 
 by Rt. Ixev. Bishop Kip, and delivered in his absence 
 by Rev. Dr. Lathrop, Rector of the Church of the' Ad- 
 vent, in San Francisco . 
 
 A large number of clergymen of various denomina- 
 tions wre present, most of whom expressed their satis- 
 faction with the exercises. The Jewish Rabbi, the 
 Rev. Dr . Cohen, placed in my hand a substantial pres- 
 ent for the young orator referred to. Two, 
 
at least, of the religious papers of San 
 Francisco, the "Pacific," (Congregational) and the 
 'Pacific Church man" (Episcopal,), referred to the Com- 
 mencement exercises in terms too cordial to be quoted 
 here. Since Commencement the Trustees of an insti- 
 tution conducted by a third religious denomination have 
 expressed their purpose to give up the idea of a college 
 and to make their establishment " a training school for 
 the State University or any other first-class college in the 
 land." Prominent persons connected with three distinct 
 religious bodies, are seriously purposing to build halls 
 or residences for the students, near to the Univsrsity 
 grounds'. For this purpose the Episcopalians have se- 
 cured already six acres of land and funds to the amount 
 of $5.000 or more. 
 
 In short, while the University of California is an in- 
 stitution of the State, and is so conducted that neither 
 Protestant, Catholic, nor Jew can claim that it is a "sec- 
 tarian" or an 4 * ecclesiastical" foundation ; it aims to 
 promote the highest development of character. While 
 the State provides* buildings and apparatus 
 and intellectual instruction those who desire 
 to secure for ycung men religious and 
 social culture propose to build up around the Uni- 
 versity churches and homes. While all such helps are 
 welcomed, when provided by private or by ecclesiasti- 
 cal liberality, the public funds are sacredly kept free 
 from sectarian control. 
 
 The criticisms of Hev. Dr. Patterson upon the Uni- 
 versity of California precede the following: " there- 
 fore," with which he concludes. "The Presbyterian 
 Church," he says, " has now before it the golden oppor- 
 tunity of guiding the higher education of the Pacific 
 Coast. Therefore, I do most earnestly beseech the gen- 
 erous-hearted Presbyterians of New York to give Dr. 
 Cunningham a hearing when he visits them in Sep- 
 tember, in the guise of a man of California, crying, 
 'Help us!'" 
 
 Hoping that "the higher education of the Pacific 
 Coast" will not suffer in the hands of its advocate, I am, 
 Mr. Editor, Yours Respectfully, 
 
REPORT 
 
 WATER SUPPLY 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY