The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-16 00:00:00

UNIYKRBITY REFORM.

TO TNT =MOO OP TIM DAILY new
1112.—Every mum' Us ivenity reformer must
hays mod that pereipoph et the Queen's Speech
white refers to thtlimilad Cambridge with feelings
oI smaized appedmeho—but not, perhaps, with
holism etivelehee—far dace Lord Derby's election
t.lrlsstdltr et tweed, it has been pretty evident'
thatthe Usieerelgt obstructives had made their own
UM= with the Prise Minister. Now if the pars-
righ alluded to seen anything, it means this—that
the ireuties of University Reform, with the nature
and molest of such reform, shall be leR to the con-
endow and discretion of the corporations which arc
to be reformed, and that the governing bodies of the
Universities may, if they think fit, adopt the reports
of her Majesty's Commissioners as a kind of guide-
book or rodeirseentn to help them in their very novel
task.

To those who know what our universities arc, and
how they are governed, such • proposition appears
little short of an actual insult offered to the common
Dense of the_ parliament and the nation.
Oxford did her utmost to oppose and retard the
commission, though it was but a commission bf
inquiry and report—one to receive voluntary evi-
dence, and to report mete opinions, without powers
to determine any question or proscribe any course:
the Iletaiumadal Board denounce it as unnecessary,
unconstitutional, and dangerous; the House of
Conyteation, by a majority of 249 to 10.5, pub-
licly petitioned the Queen to revoke and cancel
it. an l a similar petition was presented to her
Majesty in council on the part of Brum:see College.
Oxford having exhibited her midesty in these pe-
titions, the colleges proceeded to display a little
good taste on their own account, for two-thirds of
all the colleges released to answer the questions sent
by the royal commissioners, though the questions
were none of them irrelevant or impertinent, and
were all properly and even respectfully worded.
This being the Oxford of 18:4 and Itili2, what is the
prospect of her future, if left to her own devices
undisturbed?—whet, indeed, but the old tale over
again of inaction, indifference, and inefficiency.
('ambridge did not commit herself to a like extent,
owing partly to the good sense of several influential
residents, but chiefly to the sound and dis-
creet edeice whim she received from the
Prince Chancellor ; but for all this Cam-
bridge, like any other corporation, cannot be trusted
when her own corporate funds and her own endow-
ments and privileges are in question. All real uni-
versity reform must come from without—it sill
never come from within. The universities will no
more reform themselves than the municipal corpora-
tions would have done 30 years back, though, like
those corporations, they will promise fairly under a
strong pressure from without. If the universities
were willing to place themselves in harmony with
the advancement and requirement of the pre-
sent time, why did they not spontaneously and
without any commission set about the work in right
earnest, years ago? Why did they not, if Deets-
sary, apply to the crown or to parliament of their
own accord, and so gain some extension of powers in
passing by-laws, some changes in their antiquated
customs and absurd tests? It is notorious that within
the last twenty years several movements have been
made in this liberal direction; such movements
being immediately defeated in convocation or senate,
if they even livea long enough to reach senate or
convocation. Does this look like self-reform, or,
evince any capacity for it ? Doubtless the recent ex-
tension of studies at Oxford and Cambridge is a step
in the right direction; but then, it is certain that it
is a step which ought to have been taken at least
fifty years book.
If we seek for a good example of how much the
UniveraPies will do when left to themselves, and
how quickly they will do it, we may find one in the
lately presented "Report of the Statutes Sydicete"
at Cambridge; those curious in such matters should
not fail to inspect the document, for it is instructive
and very suggestive.
It is scarcely possible to over-rate the importance
of university reform in these matter of fact days,
when things are tried by their substantial worth
only ; for in this one reform half a
dozen other reforms either centre or commence.
Church reform, episcopal reform, the reform of
capitular institutions, all more or less presuppose and
imply a university reform. It is at the universities
that the clergy receive their education—it is here that
they imbibe their first principles, and here, too,
they contract some of their worst prejudices. If,
then, wo would begin at the beginning, we must
commence with Oxford and Cambridge—these are
in reality oar starting points on the road to eccle-
siastical reform. Judging the future by the past,
the mass of the intelligent, educated, and influential
people of this country can have no confidence in
Oxtord or Caqibridge as self-reforming corporations.
Looking at he maximum of privileges which they
enjoy and the minimum of duty which they perform,
the people at large cannot choose but distrust them—
their previous history and their previous character
arc against them. The universities are ancient, exclu-
sive, and wealthy corporations, governed by a self-
elected oligarchy, and prohibiting all public discus-
sion. To leave the question of reform in such hands
is to throw the whole question overboard ; and this
doubtless is the real intention of the present ministry
—but let the Hebdomadal Board and the Caput check
any exuberant outburst of congratulation, the educa-
tional reformers, both in parliament and out of it, are
not to be caught by so stale and transparent a
" dodge.' Free trade in education will follow hard
upon tree trade in emu, and let those who attempt to
stop it beware LA they convert disesteem into
hostility. A. MAN OF PROGRESS.