The Press.
London, England, 1853-06-11 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

late their high claims, yet this he hoped he might say,
that, if loyalty to the Crown or faithfulness to hts country
called upon him, he would not disgrace their name by re•
fusing to purchase the safety of the one or the other by the
eacrifice of his heart's beat blood. t Lim.? and era hot, naafi('
ehe,•ring.) Looking to the motives which might have in-
thienced the University in making their selection of a
chancellor, there was one which, though indeed it was of
a negative character, was nevertheless not unimportant—
that his nomination would 1w the symbol of peace in the
University ; that he was not believed to be attached
warmly to either of those extremes in our venerated Church
by which she had been divided, and by which division, un-
happily, she had been weakened; and that those who
might be at variance with regard to other candidates might
be content to fall back upon one who, they did him the
credit of believing, was a stucerely-attached member of the
Church of England, though not peculiarly an
to
either of the extreme parties which unhappily existed.
And whilst he thought this was the motive which might
have weighed with them, it was Otte that to him was of no
little value ; for of all the objects which he looked upon as
of the highest impudence at this moment—when the
Chareh of England was surrounded by furs from without
—he looked upon it as of the highest importance that she
should not be weakened by dissensions from within. ( Load
cheers.) lie had seen with grief and sorrow, and glad.
indeed, should he be if he could see it no tttttttt men of
equal piety, of equal eminence, of equal zeal, of equal ar-
dour in the cause of true religion, yet, by unhappy specu-
lative differences, led to look upon each other with far
different feelings than those which ought to prevail, not
only between brethren and Christians, but between Chris-
tians of the same conimunity, and the same ant
ien
he tl , vene
rable, and holy Church. t Applause.) When ooked
hack from the present to the past, how should he venture
to compare himself with that long list of worthier. who, in
times long gone by, and down to our own days. had tilled
the chair which he then unworthily occupied? Ilow could
he but feel humiliated beyond the power of expression
when he remembered that he sat there, by their favour,
in the seat which of old was held, amino
ongsr
H t others, ,
by
by
Dudley Earl of Leicester, by Sir Christopheatton
Archbishop Laud; nay, in the d oya of the great usurpation,
by that great and able usurper Cromwell, afterwards by
Clarendon', and, coming down to later days, by Lord North,
by the Duke of Portland, by the highly-honoured andname se-
iterated immune of Grenville, and, last of all, by that
which needed but to be pronounced to receive the universal
panegyric of England, of Europe. and the world—their own
inimitable, their own lamented Wellington ? I low could
he hop.• to emulate the time of that great man who proved
himself equal in every relation of life. and in every state,
to every emergency, and who, as civilian, citizen, soldier,
soil statesman, acid in every other postion, was alike ma-
dvalleol and without an equal. (Cheei
s.) In one quality
he might, perhaps, imitate him, and that was in the ale
settee of all considenotion of self, aud in the deter-
mination to sacrifice everything, and to consider
it no eacrifice, at the simple call of duty. ( Bear, hear.)
The noble earl then adverted to the critical period in the
history of the Univeraity at which they had arrived. At
that moment they stood, in common with the siser tl
city of Cambridge, aigned at the bar of public opinion.
rm
They were on trial before their country upon merits of their
systent ; and he must be permitted to say, that they wen,
put uptni that trial under Some disadvantages, and nut
altogether upon equal terms. He would not say anything
with regard to the commission which was issued for
the
the
inions
purpose of inquiring into the discipline and nemaget
of the two Universities, although he had strung op
with regard to the legality of that cemmission. lint the
doubts which he and others entertained upon that. subject
had certainly led to this unfortmette t
with regard both to Oxford and Cambridge, and especially
as regarded Oxford, the inquiry which haul taken place haul
haul been of a partial and an insatlicient character.
(Hear, hear.) Ile did not mean to impute blame to
the commissioners when he used the word partial:
but he meant to say that much evidence in favour of
the University hail not been tendered, which would have
been tenderest had there lawn less &mid as to the pro-
priety of the original commission. And yet, although
he disapproved of the issue of that. commission, he
would frankly MA honestly say before them all that he re-
joiced that that commission hail been lastest. ( Hear, hear.)
He rejoiced more Especially that inquiry had been invited,
and stimulated, and excited within the University itself.
(('heers.) And whatever might he the opinions eutertained
by the University with regard to the specitie recommen-
dations contained in that eommission, they were new
impartially, deliberately, until industriously examining
the whole subject matter of the disci dice and the
studies of the. University, examining the reeommen-
dations and the etatelownts of the co tttttt issionent,
prepared to adopt that which in their honest and conscien-
tious judgment they believed to be fin the henetit of the
University, ructions to meet public opinion by such changes
as their own honest conviction's might satisfy them would
be beneficial, and equally prepared—cud he could not
blame them for lit ; for he was ready cordially to sup-
port them in doing it—to resist any alterations which might
he pressed upon them, and which they did not themselves
believe to be for the permanent interests of those who were
committed to their charge. ( bond chores.) Ile knew not
what course Parliament might pursue mum
ible this subject ;
but he ventured to hope that RS lilt' ea pose the inter-
feron:4.of Parliament might be limited to a permissive power
to the Univeirsities, and too the colleges themselves, to in-
troduce such reforms as they might deem to be expedient,
aided lov Parliament se far as to oho away with the metric-
dons which bound many of the colleges by their ancient
and now impracticable statutes, and prevented them !mu'
introducing the amendments which they the migh ht
think desirable. ( Hear, hear.) One thing more e
trusted would not be desired by Parliament, or consented
to by the University. He hoped that in all their reforms
and amendments they would base their repairs aud On-

129

provements upon the old ancient foundationark 1 leer, hear)
—that they would nut deport from the %peon of the
University. Wont the corporate capacity of the University.
and the colleges its separate member"; but, above all, that
nothing would tieparata this University front its perma-
nent and invaluable connection in disciphue, government,
and practice with the Established Church of this country.
Alluding then to the ancient studies pursued in the Uni-
versity, and which he wartuly panegynsed for their emits
Ming tendencies antithe strength and vigour they implanted
in the minds of the students, the Earl of herby admitted.
nevertheless, that the proper function of the institution
ended not there. The object was, not alone to educate
anthers, poets, and stateimen. lint to send forth men anued
at all points to meet the various discipline of the world,
anti furnished with divine knowledge to supply the exigen•
ties of their future careers. lit this view he rejoiced to sett
the eatablishmeut of new schools mi. among lithos, re-
commended the formation of a new school of theological
instruction. lie conteseed that in a university especially
devoted to the service of the Church of England he should
have rejoiced to see a separate school even fur the younger
members of the University—a separate lockout of theology,
in which those might study who intended to devote them-
selves to the serviee of the Church. (('heers.) For,
although it wits true that ample provision had been made
fur the teaching of divinity through the inatrumentolity
of able and eminent profeseews, vet he Was dried it
I would be found that. no study would be really anti
anxiously attended to by au undergraduate desinina
of distiuction, unless that study directly—not i 11111•
reedy—led to 1111114tiCtll l'lllillellee, and the reetignit•
of university disthwtion at the period of Ctallaillat i 11l
Finally, he reiterated the ittjtmetion—Rildresaial emweially
to those who were connt•eted with the govenmwet of that
University—that if they wished to maintain, as he dill
most fervently, their institutions upon their ancient t'
detains and the original strueture of this IlliVl'laity. unim-
paired mid untouched, it was of imponant.i• that. they should
not. linger behind the eta stemble risnm•entents of the nee,
and whilst they did not yield to chimera% or consent to
abantimi their own real and fixed opini, Ms. that they Amnia
entit•av ttttt • Its widely as 11OSSible to extend the di+eipline
and tin teaching of the Unit eisity so as to make it newt:
and more gent•cally opplie;tla, to 4.14.11* Huss and et cry
description of her Majesty'a subjects—living members of
the Church of England. t bowl cheers.) No • was t 1111 l .0
unxitate than himself lair the prosperity and tho perpetitsl
good and advantage of the University with Wll ieli 1141 Was
eonnected ; mei his vansest. null a I.lll'l 11, prayer was that,
day by day, and year liv year, she might go on increasing
in public usefulness, 1 1111 l our, tutu renown, and in evil y
branch of learning send forth those who would ravel
ert•ilit upon her. do honour to their country, and Ile sit' Set'-
. Viet` to mankind in this and in future geneneilms, whether
it were in the battle-Meld, the camp. the Pll.l I Me, 111 the bur,
. or. more especially, in that itlietailolv profusion, the Mel.
vice of the Church, of which she was the nurse and fester-
mether. ; and that she might lie enabled, year by year, to
Wild out front her matentel I HIM sum to the service of 014
church men who would, by the WWII' Of their preaching,
anti their still ware powerful example, assist in pn 1111 l iting
the end of all education, trout whatever saute it came—
Peace upon earth, good will to men, and the glory of that
i God to whom all professions and all classc: were alike
responsible.
The noble earl resumed his ••••at amidst the most cutlet-
siesta: anti protnieted 00'1'1'1 1 1:4.
The recommendation of Ism! Dcrby that a theolo-
gical school should be established in the 1 eiv entity
gained additional weight, from that fact that it was
repeated by the Bishop of London in the t•ourse of a
speech in which he returned thanks Mr It toast in
honour of the clergy.
Theme speeches were the only important ones of
the ()erasion, unless we except. that td' the Nike of
Cambridge, who returned thanks On behalf of the
Royal Family, and gracefully took occasion to attribute
the honour 1114 had received in the tutit•ning tat the
love and attachment with which the queen mid her
family went regarded by the University. Perhaps,
too, it would be wrong to puss cover the whiress of
Mr. Ingersoll, who was the spokesman for the foreign
Ambassadors, and who evidently pleased his hearers
by the hearty good will evineett in his diseem•se ;
while the transatlantic point a view from which he
admired the excellences of Oxford laud about it. all
the charm of novelty. It is lamest to be regretted
that the Persian Ambassador, who stood up with trite
Oriental gravity while thin representative of the
United States represent-al him also, dial not express
his views on the actelemical education of Urea'.
Britain.
One little foil to this very agreeable twat well-
managed dinner arose from the eirt•umstanee that
Worcester Gardens were 4 Wl' tipied Icy Mr. ihudiy, a
pyrotechnical philosopher, whits() tireworks fizzed,
popped, and banged (hiring a great part of the Chan-
cellor's speech. The mwaking, however, was not
much prekulieed by the competition, which pleasantly
suggested sonic occupation for the punsters.
The entertainments concluded with the first instal-
thel at
(beet Town-lia, which was attende lay
Earl and untess ofll Derby, and other disd tin
guished persons.

WEDNESDAY.
The event of to-day was the Christ Church banquet
to Lord Derby, who is himself a member of that
Collegiate body, at which Dr. Gaisford, the Dean of
Christ Church, presided. The following is the
enumeration by the Morning Chronicle of the prin-
cipal guest prudent :