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Victoria University College an Essay towards a History

Petition in the von Zedlitz Case

Petition in the von Zedlitz Case

[This petition is here printed as the only relevant document omitted from the Council's pamphlet, Report of the Victoria University College Council Concerning the case of Professor von Zedlitz (Wellington, 1915). The reason for omission was no doubt that the petition merely repeated in summary what had already been stated at length; but it seems worth printing now to complete the record.]

To The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Council in Parliament Assembled

The Humble Petition of The Victoria University College

SHEWETH

1.

That by Section 23 of “The Victoria College Act 1905” the full power to appoint and remove all professors, lecturers, examiners, officers and servants of Victoria College and to generally manage the affairs thereof, was vested in your Petitioner.

2.

That in exercise and pursuance of the powers vested in your Petitioner it entered into a contract on or about the 31st day of December 1901 for the appointment of George William Von Zedlitz as professor of Modern Languages at Victoria College and he has continuously held the office to the present time.

3.

That during such period the said George William Von Zedlitz has not only conducted himself to the entire satisfaction of the Victoria College Council for the time being, and of his professional colleagues and students, but his teaching, example and influence have greatly strengthened the position of Victoria College as an educational institution and its success page 299 has been largely due to the teaching and good influence of the said George William Von Zedlitz.

4.

The said George William Von Zedlitz though of German parentage on his father's side is English on his mother's side and when the said George William Von Zedlitz was quite young his mother returned with him from Germany to England resumed her English domicil and the said George William Von Zedlitz acquired an English domicil which he retained Until he because domiciled in New Zealand. The said George William Von Zedlitz is, excepting in bare nationality, to all intents and purposes an Englishman. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, and at Trinity College, Oxford, And when he came of age he, from deliberate choice, elected to remain identified with England rather than return to Germany and pursue his career there.

5.

The said George William Von Zedlitz has married in New Zealand and his wife was born in New Zealand, and is of one of the English pioneer families of this Dominion.

6.

Your Petitioner's Council has during the past year made careful enquiries as to the teaching of the said George William Von Zedlitz and are satisfied that it is in accordance with the highest British ideals and traditions and is entirely opposed to the teaching of the Prussian School.

7.

The Members of your Petitioner's Council have the utmost confidence in the integrity of the said George William Von Zedlitz and that confidence is shared by the other College Professors, by his past and present students and by the parents of past and present students.

8.

Not only is his teaching not inimical to the interests of the British Empire at the present crisis but your Petitioner believes that the expression in his lectures of his views on the duties of citizenship have resulted in more than one student of Victoria College enlisting for service with the Dominion page 300 Forces. So far as your Petitioner has been able to ascertain There are some 200 students and former students of Victoria College fighting for the Empire and among them are many who had studies under the said George William Von Zedlitz

9.

On the outbreak of war the said George William Von Zedlitz tendered his resignation to the Chairman of Your Petitioner's Council, in case by reason of his not having become a naturalized British Subject your Petitioner should be in any way embarrassed by his remaining at Victoria College.

10.

The Chairman and Members of the Council who considered the matter knowing there was no direct or indirect danger in retaining him and having a high appreciation of the value of his services did not accept his tendered resignation. The action of the Chairman and those members has been ratified by subsequent resolutions of the Council after careful enquiry.

11.

The said George William Von Zedlitz has not done any military service in Germany, is not a Reservist, and his name was, as your Petitioner is informed and believes, many years ago removed from the list of those liable to military service in Germany. Any military training which the said George William Von Zedlitz has had has been as an English Volunteer and as a member of the Victoria College Training Corps which he joined as a private to encourage the students in their support of the New Zealand Defence Scheme.

12.

During recent months an agitation has been conducted against the said George William Von Zedlitz largely by means of anonymous letters in the Press in which many groundless statements and insinuations have been made concerning him by writers who obviously did not know the facts.

13.

Your Petitioner is informed and believes that the Aliens Board recently appointed by His Excellency the Governor consisting of Mr. A. D. Thomson, one of the Public Service page 301 Commissioners, Mr. John Roberts, C.M.G., of Dunedin, and Mr. George Elliot of Auckland held an enquiry into the circumstances of the said George William Von Zedlitz holding office as a professor and heard the evidence of those who were openly active in their opposition to his continuing to hold office and your Petitioner believes that the findings of the Commission were entirely favourable to the said George William Von Zedlitz.

14.

That your Petitioner believes its action to have been in accordance with the principle which have guided British Universities in the present crisis, and it considers that a lasting injury will be done to the value of educational appointments in New Zealand and of all other appointments for which applications are invited from beyond the Dominion, if legislation is passed to invalidate retrospectively and appointment which was perfectly lawful and proper in its origin, and is still regarded as entirely satisfactory by both parties to the contract.

15.

Your Petitioner concedes that any question whether or not and alien is to be trusted at large is one for the Government of the country only, but when the personal character of an alien is assured, and his liberty is held to be not incompatible with the public, welfare, your Petitioner respectfully submits that there should be no interference by the Legislature or the Executive with the rights of other lawful authorities each Within its own sphere to contract and deal with such alien as freely as with a British Subject.

16.

If the said George William Von Zedlitz were removed from his office, your Petitioner believes that a lasting injury would be done to the educative influence of Victoria College for the following reasons:

(1)

The students of the College who have attended Professor Von Zedlitz's lectures know him to be a man above suspicion and will view his removal as an act page 302 of injustice and oppression and a violation of those ideals of honour, tolerance and fair-play which Victoria College and indeed every educational institution should cherish.

(2)

It Is of vital importance to the British Race that education should recognize the necessity for action founded on principle and honour and not on expediency.

(3)

That anything which approaches an abandonment of principle at the dictation of prejudice, hatred, fear or the like is antagonistic to all the best influence of education and your Petitioner believes that it is impossible to gauge the reaction for evil that such a course may have on the youth of this Dominion.

Your Petitioner, therefore, humbly prays that no legislation be passed which will have the effect of interfering with the free exercise by your Petitioner of its functions under “The Victoria College Act, 1905” and the Acts amending the same.