The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-24 00:00:00

Tin House of Commons has done what it was

sure to do, the only thing it could do after being
asked for funds to complete the Memorial of the
PRINCE CONSORT it has straightway given the
money. No other course was open to it. Fifty
thousand pounds granted last night, added to the
sixty thousand already subscribed by the public,
ought to procure for us a structure of the first
order of magnificence. For that money we shall
get a Crow which will be • beautiful work of art,
and an ornament to the capital. If that is all
that was required, the work is, then, as good as
done. We cannot, however, think so, and far
from regarding the transaction of last even-
ing as completing a great national effort, we
are compelled to consider it as the seal set to •
failure which disgraces every one of us. Nobody
would have believed, had any one predicted it
fifteen months ago, that the general desire to rear
some worthy memorial of the Parses so sincerely
mourned would have resulted in an official or
parliamentary monument. That desire, so pure,
so delicate, so universal, was something unique in
our social history. It was a testimony to virtues
different in kind and rarer in their occurrence than
those of which we can easily keep an account to
be balanced by pensions and statues. Parliament
may be left to estimate material services, and reward
successful generals and administrators; but it
has raised too many statues to men of all
sorts of character to be a fit organ of the
sentiments which the nation cherished for Prince
ALBERT. Yet to Parliament the work has been
left. We need not relate the steps by which this
result has been reached, the shameful way in which
the whole business has been mismanaged. The
public would have shown itself ready to give three
times the money that Mr. Scores Cross is to cost
if it had found men fit to lead it in the work. But
no such persons were forthcoming. Instead of
them we saw persons utterly unqualified, the
fussiest of Lord Mayors with one or two
courtiers putting themselves forward, and pro-
posing now an obelisk, and now some other
un-English and distasteful erection, and va-
cillating and delaying until the public
turned from them in disgust. The result is the
difficulty which was last night brought before the
House of Commons. There was, as we have
already observed, only one course to take. To
refuse under the peculiar circumstances of the case
was impossible, and the money is accordingly
voted. But the Memorial has thus been robbed
of the gracefulness and true glory which it
might and should have possessed as the spon-
taneous testimony of the country to a PRINCE whom
it loved.

The second reading of the Qualification for
Mae Bill will be moved in the House of Lords
this evening by Lord Wodehouse. Liberal peers
will, doubtless, desire to support the noble lord on
this °caution.
TBX GIRSHAII PROFS9BOISHIP OF RESTOS/C.
Yesterday morning an election to the Profeesonhip of
Rhetoric in Gresham College took place at Mercers' Hall,
the electors being the Mercers Company. The candidates
ware the Rev. A. J. D'Orsey, of Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge ; the Rev. W. W. Gimlet, of Trinity College,
Cembridge, professor of eloeutlen ; the Rev. Charlie. Lae,
isoumbent of St. Mark's, Esnitingtoo ; the Rev. W. H.
Smith. the Rev. T. A. Ball, the Rev. E. Owen ; Mr. J. M.
Hare ; the Rev. Dr. Booth, of Trinity Colkge, Cambridge,
vicarof Stone ; Mr. A. J. Bell, Mr. C. J. Plumptre, Mr. .1.
L Pulliam Mr. C. K. Wane., Mr. F. Webster, and Mr.
W. Worseldine. The choice of the electors fell up= the
Rev. Charlton lane, M.A., iocombent of St. Mark's, Kea-
ste. Mr. lane was educsted at Jena College, Cato-
br when be graduated in 1819. He nu prerented to
St. Mark's, in 1832. by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and
; has helm rural dean of Southwark sines 1854.

UNIVZIWITY or EDlNltlitoll.—The anima cere-
monial of graduatioe is law mad arts took place tie Wedbynes-
day. The degree o dodo, of laws was 000ferred the
Vice-Chaneellor, Sir David Brewster, oe Prolamine Palace,
who is about to retire fr, the Chair of Humasity (Lou.),i
titter as ineumbersey of nearly 43 years. Tbe only candi-
date for tumours in the Faculty of Arts woe Mr. AU:ander
Mlles Dalrymple. who took the degree of ILA. is the
department of Meets] Philosophy, with sewed Blass
honours. The degree of M.A. was conferred on 27 (wadi-
&ten, and 10 who had pared the exerehation poetpooed
taking the &Foe, it being open to than to boom candi-
dates for the degree with honours sent year. Thirty.aias
student. obtained cortiboatei io elessieel Minters. 24 I.
philosophy, and 24 in mathematics. TIMI Venal address to
the graduates was on the present maim delivered by
Professor Aytoun.