The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

410

the cardinal principle and the vulnerable
point of the measure. He fronted the impos-
ture, but rather indicated its mask than tore
it from its face.
Mr. GLADSTONE rose to defend his favourite
provision, and, in the eagerness of his advo-
cacy, allowed its real nature to be discerned.
We entreat the reader to follow his remarks
By the present meastus they were going to assign to
the resident body of the University, through the medium of
a representative organisation, a very much greater power to
be exercised by them, as apart from the external influence on
the education of the country, than they had heretofore pos-
sessed. • * • • He was bound to say that Govern-
ment resisted any proposal to make Convocation the elect-
ing power instead of the Congregational.
Then, to qualify the alarm which wouldibe
excited by the announcement that it was pro-
posed to turn the University into a mo-
hastic institution, he dwelt on the amount of
" external influence " which would still be
exercised by the Chancellor of the University
being allowed to nominate two members of
the Council, though it had been expressly stated
by Mr. WALPOLE that this was a power which
the Chancellor would be very unwilling to ex
ercise :
Nevertheless the) Government thought it desirable to
maintain, if possible, in the electing body some of those
relations between the University and the external world which
(Mated in other respects, and the odioe of Chancellor
suggested itself as the obvious means of doing this. The
Chancellor was invariably a person of great eminence,
almost universally a layman, and an individual of high
station, deriving his influence from the outward world.
These were the main considerations which recommended
the insertion of the provision in the clause giving the
Chancellor the nomination of two members of the Heb-
domadal Council.
'ln plain speech, Mr. GLADSTONE is not un-
willing to provide the University with a
grating. It must have such a degree of com-
munication with "the outward world" as will
enable it to impose on society by a show
of its concern in worldly matters. But, con-
tinues Mr. GLADSTONE,
he did not hesitate to say that to the resident body of
Oxford it would be a very unacceptable change if Parlia-
ment were to adopt this sectional mode of election.
Why so much anxiety for the resident body ?
Is it because that body secures to Mr. GLAD-
STONE his seat, while a large majority of the
non-residents are opposed to him? This was
the explanation suggested by Mr. NEWDEGATE,
who placed the question in its true light, when
he traced the animus against the Hebdomadal
Board pervading the bill to the vigorous
efforts made by that body to condemn the
" Tracts for the Times." Never did sound
sense and honest purpose produce a happier
effect. The House listened, then sympathised,
and cheered. The glib sophistry and feeble
Macaulayism of Mr. LowE could not weaken
the effect produced. Mr. HENLEY was felt to
embrace the whole case in his statement that
if they gave this proposed power to the tutors it would
be in the hands of an oligarchy of about 100. Instead of
an open constituency of 3,600, those 100 gentlemen who
would constitute the majority of class No. 9 would carry
everything before them.
On a division the Government, in a House
of 311 members, were left in a minority of
thirteen ; and on Thursday, by a strenuous
whip, they just escaped another defeat on the
amendment that the remaining third part of
the Hebdomadal Council should be elected by
Convocation, which would have gone far to
put an end to the Congregational revival
altogether.
It seems almost incredible that a Ministry
professing liberal principles should have com-
mitted itself to a measure which has for its
express object to hand over the government of
the University to a close and exclusive corpo-
ration. The reason is to be found in that com-
pact which first brought and stillholds, though
barely holds, them together. The public good
was to be sacrificed to individual ambition.
Each chief, as in the old Roman triumvirates,
-led good in his own eyes
,drance from his colleagues.
s to be allowed to revolu-
loud representation that
at liberty to traetarianise
rhile less active spirits were
the Treasury bench of
opposite tendency. So
.iAVTIIB, BO many for ANTONY,
iPIDVS. The mercenaries re-

. orders and their pay, and the
publics groans and suffers.

Was to do what seemec
'ltithout let or hindrai
'One Minister was to
''ionise the nations
another might be at
the University ; while
to nod approval from
measures of the most
many heads for OcrrAv
so many for LEMMA
&AV* their orders a,