The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-26 00:00:00

LONDON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.
Yesterday the usual annual general meeting of
the proprietors was held at the college in Ouwer-street.
The chair nu taken at 3 o'clock by Sir James OIIAHLu, „
M.P., when there ware about fifty of the proprietors M
preseAfnt. at.
ter the transaction of some routine business the annual to
report was read. This document showed the unpleasant
fact that, while the number of students and pupils in the 1
college and school have increased—while a very large pro- ''
portion of the graduates at the university were students of st.,
the college—while the efficiency of the college was how,- at.
ing—that the income of the institution remained auequal so
to the expenditure, however carefully and economically 10
controlled. During the past year a loan of 3,3001. has been "
contracted by the council an order to meet the excess of is
expenditure over the income, not only of the past, but of .1
several preceding years. The total Mousse of the year, le
including the loan in question, amounts to 17,1721., and the et.
expenditure to 16;1611. ; leaving a balance of 6912., which "
has been Merited. The number of students during „„
the session 1860-61 was, in the faculti_ of me-
dieiae, 2004 sea the Welty *Wks -14
with the 304 pupils In the Junior 'Wheal, gave a total or le
747. The fees paid by the students during the same period
amount to 6,7962. The sum of 9511. received as fees for the „,11-
clinics' lectures had been paid to the hospital connected 7,1
with the university. The report acknowledged the receipt u
of several valuable and troportant ; among the lat- lAA
ter was a collection of Chinese books from Mr. Morrison,
and the orrery manufactured by James Ferguson, the self- su
taught natural philosopher. The library now contains 64
38.066 volumes on general, and 3,669 on medical subjects. ui
The report was received, adopted, and ordered to be a:
printed. ft
Some unimportant business having been transacted, 10
Mr. J. IL QUAIN wished to submit to the meeting a SO
question of deep interest to the welfare of the institution I!,
and to the interests of the proprietors. The question was, east
the state and coudition of the University of Londua. et
University College was the oldest and largest of the satiated le
colleges; it bad the largest number of students, end N
of the present number of the graduates of the
University, five hundred were its members. In stating se
plain honest facts respecting the condition of the University •
of London, ho did not wish to pledge the meeting to any- se
thing, though he felt convinced those facts would show that M.
the time had come for admitting the graduates to the tor- 14,
perste body. The resolution which he should submit cm- :,tl'
bodied that expression of opinion. The University of ei
London, established fifteen years ago, but which had only at
been twelve years in operation, was exclusively composed U
of a senate appointed by the Crown. The first thing done
by that senate was to form a curriculum of studies for those N.
students who applied for degrees. Fur that the senate was a
entitled to the grateful tbauks of all the graduates. It so
would bear comparison with any system in any part of the st.
United Kingdom, and it had, as be believed, been very in- 10
strumental in promoting the beneficial changes introduced 1
a short time ago in the Universities of Oxford and Cam- t,
bridge. (Cheers.) The University of London was composed so
of 28 g I colleges and 100 medical colleges :6 of the 28 se.
were °panto all denominations, 9to Roman catholic'. 10 to IL
nonconformists, 2to Wesleyan, and 2to the established le
church. The medical *chords included were in London and 114
other places in the United Kingdom, in Calcutta, in Moo- 10'
treat, and in Sierra Leone. From these different colleges &&.;
there were at this moment about 700 graduates. Of these
700 ono third, he believed, belonged to the medical motes. dal
sion, 40 were law graduates, sad the remainder had taken r
degrees in the various faculties of arts. The number of IS
candidates increased about 100 a year, so that in a very few coo
years there would be a body of 1,000 graduates. The ave. at.
rage of the 700 was 27 years; and if they deducted eo
those who had graduated during the last two years, the 10
average age would be found to be 30 Very nearly one- .„,"
half of the whsle number were resident in and about Lou- ;
don. That was a meet material point, because it die- so
tinguished the University of London from the ancient ea,
universities, where the number of residint graduates wss
very small indeed. The remainder of the graduates were 11
living chiefly in the manufacturing districts. The next II:
point was their position; 70 or 80 were ministers of religion
of various denominations, 70 or 80 others were occupied as
professors, or teachers, in the college.; and of the medical Mi
geminates a very large proportion also was occupied as
teachers in the medical schools attached to the colleges. es&
The remainder belonged to tho legal profession, and the
at majority was at the bar. Of the 4,6001. paid in fees 1011
Ethe students, 2,000!. was paid by the medical students.
hat was the position of the University of London ? pi
This large number of graduates bad ne connexion what-
eves commission with the university, u
idteillfiragia&Tdegree. Me eieogo,badtheen gnu ka
the charter deco its original grant, though he believed It '
was the intention of its founder' to make some change In so
respect to the graduate* when that body should have be-
come numerous enough. In 1840 a committee of the le
senate had passed several resolutions in favour of making
lan electoral body out of the graduates of three years' stand- 0
ing, whenever their numbers should amount to 300. This r.
and other resolutions were, however, quashed in the senate 57
itself. The justice of the case having been so long Flamm- iss
ledged, he did not think the graduates were asking for
anything extraordinary when they asked that the recom-
mendation of these resolutions should be taken into con- 10
sideration. In 1848 the present movement among the gra sea
-
duates commenced, not from any desire to grasp at power,
or to enforce any peculiar academical theories ; but for the se
purpose of fulfilling a real practical want. In 1848 ill
the Lord Advocate brought in the Medical Registration
Dill, which the graduates on exsminatiun fogad Ist sustain Ni
clauses most prejudicial to Ate value and reemssability of
I their degrees.- The palisades were new a - {mbar, ft.
and all interested in mointeimiag the and the
dignity of their degrees. The affiliated sollegee wen east-
if
tend all over the United Kingdom, without any swain.
tion. The colleges knew nothing of one another, INA many is
even were ignorant of the common centre in lidenenet.
house. He bad stated that many of the maws belonged et,
to various denominations of dissenters. If NON MOB INF
ful general centre, some combination were iota=
would be a great means to lessen the strum
•
prejudices in which the students at these magas
I ware temporarily educated. The association etymon sea 111.
was essentially necessary to education: it was the greats* II
want of the University of London. The gradueles wore
wedded to no particular plan, they had dropped thin whisk se
was some years ago proposed to liar G. Ore . The mole-
tion he moved applied solely to the The pl.
duates did not act in hostility to the senate ft the senocal of 41
the college, they submitted their wishes es reassaable and Fp
just, leaving the details of any plan fee therging them eat •
to the consideration of the proper authorities. (Lead
cheers.)
The resolution having been seconded, Mr. YATIS opposed
the motion on various grounds none of whisk 61/ so
have any weight with the meeting, and it WY in the st,
allirmauve ;as was also a second, directing the cornea to DO
communicate the resolution to the senate.
Mr. HUME thanked Mr. Quain for the able and Judi-
dons manner in which he had introduced the subject. The 'H
time bad come for the amendment in the charter of the se
university desired by the graduates—it was n to the is
cause of education and progress—and he regretted that any 10
individual should have attempted to throw difficulties in 1
the way.
Mr. lIUME then moved a vote of thanks to Sir James 141
Graham for his "ucliii6Alions
land just kindness in the chair, &
and the aeries beta seconded,
Sir JAMBS G said he "odd assure the meeting lb
that he felt the highest methadon from the expression of ,
thanks which hail-bass eared_ hthy but more especially a
bees* it had bees brought heward by his old friend Mr.
Hume. Mr. Humehad obsermalthat the progressof all reform A
was slow. He (Sir J. Graham) said to them that though slow 1
it was sure, and that there was no retrogression from progress
once made. PIMPING OEM made in anything can never be
rescinded. (Land cheers) With respect to the proposi-
tion which bad just been adopted, he would remiud the
meeting that the senate of the University derived its powers
from the crown, that they an not the responsible advisers
of the crown. The question was only one of time, and
would before long be settled. It was difficult to fix the
precise period when such a step ought to be taken, but he
felt convinced that before long corporate privileges such as
those possessed by the Universities of Oxford and Cam-
bridge, would be granted by the legislature to the Univer-
sity of Loudon. Intelligence and education were the surest
moans to power. (Cheers.)

lA)NDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAIL WAY.—
Return of trail° for the week ending Feb. 22, 1862 :
Passengers, parcels, carriages, horses, and mails,
21,1821. 13*. Od. ; merchandiee, 17,1761. Be. 9d.; cattle,
8311. 12e. Id. Total, 39,1901. 13s. 10d. Corresponding
week 1861, 39,6601. Os. Od. Corresponding week 1810,
37,9131. Os. 10d. Aggregate. 1850-306,3331. Be. Bd.; 1861-
316,7911. ss. Od. ; 1832-317,7611. Bs. 2d.
(,TREAT NORTHERN RA I LWAY.—Return of traffic
for the week ending Feb. 15 :—Passengers, parcels, car-
riages horses, dogs, and mails, 4,7771. 7s. Bd. ; merchandise'
and minerals, 8,4641. 15e. 6d. ; cattle, 1621. 12s. 6d. Total,
11,4041. 15s. 6d. Correspondiog week, 1861, 8,120 L 41. 4d.
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RA ILWA T.—
Amount of traGic for the week ending Feb. 22 :—Feasen-
ger*, 8,2781. 17s. 814.; goods, 2,644?. 6s. llid. Tutu!,
8,9331. 3e. Bd.