The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-03 00:00:00

THE EXP.RESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 3, 1862.

LORD PALMERSTON AT OXFORD.

OXFORD, Rum 2.
don of the founders and

The annual

benefacton of the Oxford University took place in the
Seldonian Theatre this morning. The proceedings were
rendered more than usually interesting by the eamounoement
that, on this occasion, the honorary degree of Doctor of
Civil Law would be conferred, among other personages of
distinction, on Lord Palmerston. The doors of the theatre
were opened at ten o'clock, and in a short time the building
was completely packed, the gallery being filled by under
graduates, the semicircle by ladies, and the area by
masters of arta and the general public. No sooner
was the theatre filled than the usual cried began, cheers
being given for those who were most in favour,
varied by grains and hisses for those whose popularity
was not great among the undergraduates. The most en-
thusiastic cheers were given for the Queen, the Prince of
Wales, the Princess Alice, Lord Palmerston, the Lord
Chancellor, the Earl of Derby, Mr. Gladstone, end Mr.
Disraeli The reception accorded to the name of Earl
Russell was not very enthusiastic, while mingled cheers
and groins were given for Mr. Bright, Dr. Lushington, and
others. Opinions in reference to foreign matters were ex-
pressed in cheers for Garibaldi and the Confederate States
of America; cheers and MIDs for the Emperor of the
French and Genets! Blake. Nor was the University for.
gotten, the proctors not being very warmly received,
while the University Rifle Corps and the University
Eight received due honours. In the midst of the
noise occasioned by these proceedings the doors were thrown
open and the procession appeared, headed by the Vice-
Chancellor and several of the most distinguished visitors,
among whom were the Lord Chancellor, Lord Lyndhurst,
Lord Palmerston, Mr. Gladstone, Archdeacon Clerks, he.,
followed by the heads of colleen, professors, &c.
The proceedings were then gone through in the cus-
tomary form, the degree of D.C.L. being conferred on
Lord Palmerston, his Excellency Comm. Francisco Ignacio
de Carvalho Moreira, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary from the Emperor of the Bruns ; the
Right Hon. Sir Edmund Walker Head, Lieut.-General
Sir James Ontram, Sir Bounden Palmer, M.P., the Rev.
J. A. Jeremie, Professor Wheatstone, T. Watson, Esq.,
president of the Royal College of Physicians; and H.
Taylor, Eeq.
-

On the termination of the proceedings in the theatre, the
greater portion of the company repaired to the Town-hall,
for the purpose of witrseming the presentation of an address
to Lord Palmerston from the omporation of Woad. The
hall wee crowded, and Lard Palmerston on enteriog the
room, aocompamied by the Mayor of Oxford, the Chancellor,
the Vice-Chancellor. Mr. Cardwell, ILP., and aldermen
and other members of the corporation, was loudly cheered.
When the mayor and the more distinguished visitors had
taken their places on the platform, the following address
was read :

"To the Right Hon. Lord Palmerston, K.G., First Lord o(

the Treasury.

" May it please your lordship, we, the Mayor, Aldermen,
and citizens of Oxford in council assembled, congratulate
your lordship on your arrival within our ancient city, and
being desirous of testifying our loyalty and attachment to
her Majesty's person and government are unwilling to allow
any opportunity to paw without paying our respects to the
Prime Minister. But on this occasion we have motives
stronger than usual, for as representatives of all classes of the
citizens, and gratefully acknowledging the bleesinp of
national peace and prosperity, we feel certain that we ex-
press the feeling of the whole country that it is owing to the
wisdom, vigour, and firmness which distinguish your lord-
ship's administration that we have swiped a participation
in those calamities end horrors with which other parts of the
world have been afflicted, and, at the same time, have main-
tained unimpaired our relations with foreign powers.
It is the deep sense which we entertain of the obligation
the whole nation is under to your lordship that has moved
our council, composed of all parties, to this unanimous ex-
preesion of our feeling.
" Given under our common seal, this 30th day of June,
A.D. 1862. " WiLuam WARD, Maier."

Lad PALMERSTON then rose amid loud cheers, and said—
Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen of the Corporation,—l can as-
sure you I feel highly gratified and extremely proud to re-
ceive this testimony of goodwill from the corporation of this
ancient city—a city famous in history—famous in some of
the most remarkable periods of our story, and always distin-
guished by unshaken loyalty to the crown of
these realms. I appear before you, I hope,
an emblem of that harmony which ought always to prevail
in cities which are the seats of education for the youth of
the realm ; for I come before you in a garb which denotes
that I have bad the honour of becoming a member of the
University of Oxford—(cheers)—and 1 also meet with a
most cordial reception from the corporation of the city.
There have occasionally, in some seats of learning, been
dissensions between " town" and "gown." I trust that
the disunion of town ,with gown may be perpetually the
benefit of bott. (Cheers.) You have been pleased to
expreu your approbation as to the manner in which the
government of the country have succeeded in steering an
even course, preserving on the one hand peace to the
country, and on the other maintaining unimpaired the
rights, the honour, and the dignity of this empire. (Cheers.)
Well, gentlemen, the merit in due to that body of able men
who are placed at the head of the different departments of
the state. I have had the good fortune to be associated
with some of the most able and distinguished statesmen
whom this country at present produces, and when you may
that the nation ought to feel thankful for the mule which
has been pursued, I may, in return, say that this nation
ought to be grateful to the city and university of Oxford,
for having contributed to that administration, whose anima
have obtained the approbation of the country, two of it.
meat distinguished members—the one my right hon. friend,
whom I have the pleasure of seeing present on
this occasion (Mr. Cardwell), who represents the town,
and the other my friend the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, who so worthily represents the University.
(Chews.) I can assure you, gentlemen, that it will be the
anxious study of her Majesty's government to pursue that
course of policy which I am persuaded is the desire of all
parties in this country ; for however various political parties
may differ as to some particular question of internal and
domestic policy, it is the pride of this country that when
questions touching the great interests of the nation in its
relations with f'reign states—questions touching the honour
and dignity of England—come to be discussed, all party
differences vanish before the importance of the matter, and
all parties unite in one common endeavour to maintain unim-
paired that dignity, and to preserve uninjured those interests.
Gentleman, I beg to assure you that I feel proud of the
honour which you have conferred upon me by the address
which has been presented, and that I shall ever preserve in
my memory the pleasure which I have received, and the
honour which has been done me this day, both in respect of
the gown which I now have the honour to wear, and the
addreu which you have just been so kind as to present
tome.

Cheers were then given for Lord Palmerston, the Lord
Chancellor, and Mr. Cardwell, and the proceedings were
brought to a close.

A reversionary interest in an estate in the county
Clare, producing a yearly profit rent of 2701., which it is
hardly possible that the actual purchaser can ever enjoy,
as possession cannot be obtained for half a century, was
sold in the Landed Estates Court ou Tuesday for 5201. This
it a good proof of the prevalent desire to invest capital in
Irish landed estates.

The great national German demonstration of the
summer, the German federal shooting match of all shooters'
guilds of the German race, is fixed for the 13th till the 18th
of July, at Frankfort. Two hundred persons, organised
as ten committees, are superintending the running up of
an extemporised whole suburb of tent', booths, and festal
halls of brick, "gift temples," with upwards of WO hono-
rary prime of ceramic art io silver and gold ; shooting halls,
beer and wins balls, fountains, telegraphic offices, lie. The
omitral festal place, fenced in all round, 480,000 feet square,
is surrounded by a far greater one, accessable for everybody
paying for admission. The inner festal place contains the
shooting hall, with a hundred stands, 1,170 feet by 50 feet ;
the gift tern*, 64 feet in height, with a Germania on the
top ; the festal hall, 400 feet by 100 fest The outskirts
will have accommodation for emptying 150,000 bottles of
wine, 3,000,000 pinta of beer and other beverages ; for assi-
milating many hundredweight of sausages, meat, and delion-
cies ; for singiog union; music bands, equestrian and other
artiste, and popular feats of strength, cleverness, pedeetai-
anism, and gymnastics ; public amusement., fireworks,
dancing, &c. Upwards of 5,000 members of the German
shooters' guilds are expected, besides odd hundred thou-
sands of people in general from near and afar, Russians sad
Japanese included.

The French clerical paper, the A esti Sc la Religion,
hay *mod to swear.