The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-09 00:00:00

MAY 9, 1857 we have macadamised into plain prose the poet's glowing sentiment. Mr. HORSMAN has made Irishmen " unite " for once with such effect that they will not he too particular who comes after him. " Anti-Horsmanism" is the password of the " United Irish" of to-day. And what a crowd seek for his place—Lord Moscx, Lord FERMOY, Mr. RALPH OSBORNE, Mr. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, and—but we can not go on with the list until it reaches the ex-Chief Justice of a West Indian island. Every man who could, would, or ought to have a place in the Ministry is put forward by his friends and a bevy of hungry placehunters for the office. Cliques are canvassed, and all kinds of influence, pri vate and public, are placed in requisition. If the Conservative party were in power we should be glad to see a really independent Irishman, a resident landlord, popular at home and respected in England, chosen for the place As matters are now, unless a better selection can be made than from ono of the above names, we fear that any of Lord PAL.• MERSTON'S nominees must command our oppo sition. Of the two Noble Lords whose names are put forward by their personal friends, it must be recollected that they will have to find seats in the House of Commons. Lord MoNcx has attracted political attention to himself princi pally by his giaring antagonism to the line of politics taken by his family in recent times. Elected to the House of Commons in 1852, Lord MONCK sat long enough in Parliament to show that his abilities were scarcely up to the average of what is expected from a subordinate. Lord FERMOY can appeal to a longer political cai eer ; but the active participation in the events of the Repeal year of 1843, and the in fluential countenance given by " Burke Roche" to agitation, are not effaced even by the stu diously-marked moderation of his later years. It is certainly to Lord FERMOY'S advantage that he has always held a high name for straightforward conduct, and a brilliant pen, in a distinguished work, has recorded " the " independent part taken for mary years in " Irish politics" by Lord FERMOY ; but, on the other hand, his subsequent vote and speech in favour of Lord CLARENDON, on Lord NAAS'S motion about Mr BIRCH, recur to the memory. Would Lord F ERMOY act as a check on the partisanship with which patronage is admi nistered at Dublin? We fear not. The practical energy of Lord FERMOY as a leader in the flax movement in the south of Ireland, and as a developer of the country's resources, does him high honour, and the friendly respect of the Conservatives of his locality reflects credit on him ; but Lord FER MI)? owes a peerage and the Lord-Lieutenancy of the County of Cork to " the party," and his nomination to the office would only be an additional proof that the present system of Whig cliquery would be continued. The claims of Mr. OSBORNE we need not discuss. The mere mention of his name caused active opposition from all sides, and his tenure of the Chief Secretaryship (if he was rashly placed in it) would be a prolonged " row," which would be both unpleasant and unreasonable, since even the humours of Donnybrook Fair have been put down with a high hand. Mr. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE is an Anglo-Irish dandy and London diner-out of considerable success. His almost sole Parlia mentary distinction consists in his having been chosen to move a Ministerial counter proposition in the last Parliament against Mr. \VALPOLE'S motion for extending national education, so as to include Irish Protestants. The claims of the other aspirants to the office are alluded to elsewhere. THE LONDON UNIVERSITY. THE lapse of thirty years has materially altered the position and prospects of the University of London. The original purpose of that institution was to remove all inequali ties of education between different religious , parties, and to provide the children of Dis senters with the same high class of instruction which our older Universities had hitherto re- THE PRESS. served for members of the Established Church. But long ere the building known for sonic time as the London University was opened for the inauguration of the new system, an inroad had been made on the unity of this design. Un willing that the metropolitan University should represent exclusively the Nonconformist prin ciple, the Churchmen of London had suc ceeded in the foundation of a new college devoted to the maintenance of their own prin. ciples, which at once claimed equality of rank with the sister insti►tution in Gower-street. The claim, it seems, was considered to be well grounded, and King's College was admitted as an integral part of the London University. The differentia of this body could, therefore, no longer be sought in its Nonconformist cha racter. Yet, till within a few years, it was doubtless regarded by the great mass of Eng. lish Dissenters as their special institution. Now, however, that they have obtained ad mission to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, this feeling, though still strong among them, will doubtless to some extent subside, and the distinguishing characteris tic of the London University consist rather in the course of study and method of education she may pursue than in the station or creed of her alumni. It appears to us that experience has sail ciently shown the impossibility of this Univer sity competing with those of Oxford and Cambridge on their own ground. Besides many solid and many sentimental attractions peculiar to themselves, they have the advan tage of such a start as London can never hope to overcome. They have got their hands thoroughly well in. And as they profess to teach so much less than their younger rival, they may fairly be presumed to teach it much better. All the great public schools of the country are busy in the manufacture of scholars and tutors for them alone. And we scarcely see how any change is ever to take place in this respect. Whether a man study the classics for pleasure or for profit, he will equally prefer the Isis and the Cam to Gower street or Somerset-house. If actuated purely by the taste and poetry of the pursuit, he will love to write his hexameters and read his Homer where ADDISON and GRAY, CANNING and WELLESLEY, wrote and read before him. Or, if he have an eye to substantial results, he will naturally turn his footsteps where easy fellow ships and rich livings are to be had in return for 2Esehylus and Aristotle. It is not merely a case of " solid pudding against empty " praise,' but of praise and pudding together versus praise by itself. But to say that the University of London is unable to compete with Oxford and Cambridge over their own ground is by no means to deny that a special field, and a tolerably extensive one too, does exist for the exercise of her own functions. It is often urged that the wide extent of matter over which all candi dates, either for admission or graduation, are compelled to travel is prejudicial to sound education, and we are far from denying that there is much,truth in the allegation. Yet at the same time we cannot avoid feeling that those with whom this system originated were actuated by an instinctive consciousness of the purpose which the infant University was destined to fulfil. With the progress of civilisation the classes desirous of intellectual culture must ever be widening. We do not mean persons desirous of true science, but of a certain amount of information ; stimulated by curiosity to comprehend something of what they daily see discussed in literature and the lecture-room. Such learners, we may be sure, will increase in far larger proportion than those who require severe scientific train ing, or high (esthetic refinement. Why then should not the London University at once accept this mission, and say boldly, we re nounce that effort at thoroughness which 447 older institutions make their chief excellence, and make it our special business to extend the benefits of general education as widely as possible? She would not by so doing debar herself from imparting the very highest branches of science and scholarship to such students as might be able to avail themselves of lectures of this stamp. She would merely say that she took her stand upon something different; that here, as JouNsos said, was a place where something could be learned about everything—thoroughly, perhaps, by some — but that general acquaintance with a variety of subjects was what the bulk of her students must be contented to receive. We have been led into these observations by watching the progress of a controversy now waging between the Senate of the Louder University and the graduates. The bone of contention is a resolution proposed by the former body to the effect that the certificate of having gone through some collegiate course of instruction shall no longer be demanded of candidates for the University degree. The graduates contend that this is slighting the principle of " association," which is one of the most valuable elements in a college career. Now, no one can be more alive to the value of this principle than our selves. But, nevertheless, the change pro posed by the Senate seems strictly in accord ance with the spirit of the London University. It has itself no " association "—its members are scattered all over London, and all over the provinces—a number of provincial colleges being affiliated, to whose members alone, on the presentation of their certificate, the Univer sity degree has been conferred. To offer any stimulus to the acquisition of learning by the poorer classes who can not afford the ex pense of a college course is a thoroughly legitimate object, and the bestowal of a Uni versity degree would decidedly act as such a stimulus. Independently, also, of these posi tive reasons, it has been fOund hitherto that the college certificates have been little better than worthless. They have been given in such a reckless manner that the authorities have ceased to regard them as any guarantee of a previous collegiate education. Under these circumstances the present measure has been brought forward. It is recommended by the examples of the Universities of Dublin and France, and would unquestionably be an extraordinary boon to many such persons as schoolmasters and others, to whom the Uni versity degree would be a real benefit, who are quite competent to pass the examinations, but who can never spare either the time or the money necessary to University or college residence. To meet the wants of a daily in creasing class at present beyond the pale of regularly registered education is unloubtedly, if our opening remarks are correct, one of those very functions which the University of London is peculiarly called on to discharge. THE WAR WITH PERSIA. CAPTURE OF MOHAMMERAH. The following telegraphic despatch waq received on Wednesday morning from General Sir James Outram, dated " Camp before Moliammarah, March 28 '':— 111ohammerah was captured by the British on the 28th inst. The enemy lost 200 killed and wounded, among whom was Asherluf Brigadier, besides seventeen guns and a vast amount of ammunition and military stores. The Persian army, under the Shah Zadeh, retreated towards Ahwaz and Shuster in great disorder. The British forces are encamped near Moliammerah. Our loss in killed and wounded is about ten. The Arab tribes are friendly, and are sending in their submission. In the course of the same day a further telegraphic message was received through Constantinople : The flying expedition to Ahwez returned to Moham• mend' on the 4th inst. 'April) completely successful. The large Persian army retired from their psition, and retreated rapidly towards Dizful before a British force not 4110 strong. One gun was captured, and extensive military stores were seized and destroyed. Nothing official has transpired in reference to the alleged refusal of the Shah of Persia to ratify the treaty concluded with England.