The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-29 00:00:00

OXFORD UNIVERSITY REFORM.

TO TUE. EDITOR OP Till 11•TLT MEWS.
81s,—Ins former letter to yon I mentioned the
subject of compulsory &Modena at chapel in the univer-
sities. I would again advert to it, as it seems to me to be
one of the barriers set up by the university system against
the admission of any but members of the church of Eng-
land to participate in her benefits. At present, of course,
the subscription to the thirty.nine articles on entering Ox-
ford makes that university do facto confined to members of
the established church. fhe abolition of that test, as I
have before said, is recommended by the commissioners ; '
and although we cannot expect to see it carried out under
the existing ripime, we may fairly hope that not many
years, it months, will pass over our heads without teeing
as alteration in that particular. That, however, will not
suffice, unless followed up by some change in the present
chapel system, which is restrictive in the highest degree.
Of course no Roman catholic, no dissenter, would like to
put himself under a control which compelled him to attend
• divine service which the one esteems heretical, and the
other ridiculous. In that way, then, it acts as • bar to the
liberalising the university, and tends to encourage an ex-
clusive clique. Some years since Lord Derby, then a Whig
and a liberal, strongly opposed the compulsory attendance
at chapel system. Tempos, martaatur, however, and the
" strip-119y Stanley" is become Lord Derby and chancellor '
of the university of Oxford. How the dons and stiff-starched
authorities of Ox ford came to forget (it is not in their nature to
forgive) this Ssgrant dereliction of principle on Lord Der by's
pert,l cannot' magine. Perhaps, however, be has changed his
mind on this subject as well as on most others. That his
mind Is already tainted with Donnish cant, and &consistent
and conservative support of the university and university
abuses, his measures regarding the commission abundantly
prove. He venerates them as something old—oornething
opposed to progress—somothlng separated from the common
herd—too mysterious for vulgar intelligencre—eomething
aristocratic, and to be looked upon in the same light as that
in which Lord John Mariners regards the preservation of
the " old nobility," even to the extinction of " the arta and
commerce." Perhaps, however when his conduct on this
point some years back is recalled to his mind, he may deem
it wise to pause ere on this subjeot,as well others, he eats his
own words. He may, although lan hardly hope it, pluck
up courage enough to be consistent in one instance--sad
even, by • great effort, to face the Hebdomadal board its
self. I know it is • subject on which much opposition
would be raised. Many good and honest men would look
on it as imehristiantsing the university. They do no-
wish to associate with anything so dangerous at
• Roman catholic or so unhishionable as a Quaker
they my them is Maysoeth (a nice place too) for the Roman
Cittholies • then is the London University for all sorts; let
them ge ther,we don't want them. We are members of
the church of Itsiglaad, we are stembers of the University of
Oxford, and we like to, and will have it an our own way
Now that is very thing I would wish to see prevented.
As long as all admixture M religions is @Windy avoided,
so 101 l will narrow mindedness and intolerance reign ; so
loug will liberal principles and an Oxford education be
antagonistic the one to the other—so long will our young
men team to be university men, and not men of the world,
viewing everything through a distorted and contracted
medians, and regarding all popular measures with haughty
and supercilious contempt. The mere fact of spending half
an hour Ave times a week dosing in chapel seems no great
hardship. Nor is it in itself; but when that same half
hour, compulsorily exacted, affords a pretext for ex-
eluding many from the university, it does then become a
matter of consideration. Surely when • young man comes to
the sots of 19 or 20 he is old though to judge of the pro-
priety of 4oing to church foe himself. It becomes • matter
between him and hie own eonscienin. And, thank Heaven !
in this free snowy, our continues are la our own keep-
ing. A epilogs tutor is ant a father confessor, although
"mays( them would like to be—nor is the Head of • House
any more than the bead of • family. To such causes as
those I have above mentioned may be attributed the exclu-
sive character of Oxford ; and it was to remedy that exclu-
siveness, amongst other things, that Lord John Russell ap-
pointed commission. Their labour, alas ! has been but
in vain. And the more we reflect, tbe more we consider
what is, end what will be, and what might have been
the more cause shall we ace to mourn the disastrous day,
alike to the university itself and the public at large, which
made Lord Derby Chancellor of the University of Os ford.
I am, &c., MA., OXON.
Temple, Nov. 19.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT A DISTILLERY.—On Sa-
turday night the neighbourhood of Church.street, Lam-
beth, was thrown into a painful state of excitement in con-
sequence of a fire breaking out on the premises belonging
to Messes. Hodges and Sons distillers. The flames when
fret discovered were raging in the carpenters' workshops,
and rushing through the roof, mating re great a glare over
the neighbourhood that the lire could be distinctly seen
from the several metropolitan bridges. The engines be-
longing to the firm, together with those of the patent candle
work., London Erigade, and West of England office, were
early In arriving, when the firemen found an excellent sup-
ply of water flowing from the pipes of the Lambeth Com-
pany. Four or five engines were forthwith eel to work, and
by half-past nine o'clock the fire was extinguished. The
carpenters' workshop, were burned out, the wheelwrights
shops destroyed, and some damage done to the smithy.
Fortunately, the distill, ry, owing to its distance from the
place where the fire commenced, escaped. The firm was
insured in five of the principal fire offices. The cause of
the disaster is attributed to some defeat in the due belonging
to the carpenters' shops.
ROBBERY AT TATTERSALLII.--On Saturday in-
formation was received that a gentleman tran•aet+ng some
business at Tatterealle, having entered the Turf Tavern, in
Tattersall's-yard for some refreshment, was surrounded by
some fellows, who hustled him, and took from his person
41. In gold, a of. Bank of England note, an order for 71. on
the Killarney Book, five florins, and the gold ring Of his
finger, alter which, rushing out of the house, they got deer
away with their plunder.