The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-01-19 00:00:00

V ampobirt.

ANDOVER.—The works required to convert the
Andover canal into a railway, including the con-
struction of the proposed new line, are estimated at
£130,000. _ _ _

MIDDLE.CLA.9B EXAMINATION FOR UNIVERSITY
DEGREES-A public meeting was convened at the
Townhall, Southampton, on Monday evening, for
the purpose of hearing from the Rev. J. E. T.
Rogers, M.A., of Magdalen Hall, Public Examiner,
who has been appointed by the University of Oxford
one of the delegates to carry into effect the newly.
adopted statute for the examination of those who
are not members of the University for the honorary
title of "Associate of Arta," an exposition of the
scheme in question. The Rev. H. Cary, rector of
the pariah of All Saints, was voted to the chair. The
attendance was of the most influential character, the
hall being well filled in every part, and included
among those present a large number of the Episcopal
and Dissenting clergy of the town and neighbourhood,
members of the legal and medical profession/4 and
residents of all sects and parties. The learned dele-
gate, in a clear and lucid address, explained the
details of the scheme, and the advantage it proposed
to confer on the educational interests of the nation,
the extreme liberality of the plan propounded by the
University eliciting the unanimous and unqualified
approval of all present. At the conclusion of the
rev, gentleman's address the Rev. Thomas Adkins
(Congregational minister) proposed a resolution, to
the effect that the meeting viewed the new statute
as eminently liberal, and well deserving to be warmly
welcomed and earnestly forwarded, which was
seconded by Mr. H. Buchan, and agreed to unani-
mously. Mr. J. R. &ebbing, Justice of the Peace,
president of the Southampton Polytechnic Institu-
tion, and also President of the Chamber of Com-
merce, moved a vote of thanks to the rev, delegate
for his disinterested zeal and public spirit in visiting
the town on that occasion, and favouring the meet-
ing with such an admirable and eloquent address.
The resolution was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Beck.
ford (Episcopal clergyman), and carried by acclama-
tion. Mr. T. Falvey moved that a memorial be
prepared to the Universityof Oxford, requesting that
Southampton be made one of the centres of examina-
tion, which was seconded by Mr. J. Duncan M.A.,
Principal of the Southampton College, and carried
unanimously. A committee was appointed for this
, purpose, consisting of the movers and seconders of
the several resolutions, the chairman, Dr. Joseph
Buller, and Archdeacon Wigram, with power to add
to their number. Daring the proceedings a very
spirited discussion was called forth by one of the
speakers expressing his regret that the scheme did
not include examination in religious or Biblical
knowledge, which was taken part in by some of the
gentlemen abovenamed, the Revs. N. Cotton, and
W. H. White, Mr. Alderman Palk, and others. It
was shown that while provision was made for examin-
ing young men who were members of the church of
England on certain questions appertaining thereto,
and those who were not in the Old Testament Scrip-
tures and other departments of general theology, yet
in any case it was not enforced- where the parent or
guardian of the examinee objected, and, further, that
proficiency or otherwise in these matters would have
no effect in granting the degree. This, it was con-
tended by the majority of the speakers (and the ap-
probatory plaudits of the audience evinced their
acquiesence and agreement with the remarks), formed
the chief glory of the University scheme, avoiding
as it does interference with that which has hitherto

been the bane and the curse of a'ny—p-ro—posed —navt4;;;;l
or general educational plan. The business of the
meeting closed with awarding a vote of thanks to
the chatrman.