The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-24 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY REFORM.

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REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS 01,
THE STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND COLr
LEOES OF OXFORD.
This report states that the commissioners had felt
it their first duty to transmit to the Chancellor; Vice-
Chancellor, heads of colleges, arid halls, professors, and
other officers of the university, a copy of their commission,
and to invite them to assist the comminiemers in their in-
quiries. Their neat duty was to collect information, and
on consideration it was determined to conduct the inquiry
by means of printed questions rather than by Mors rem
'legalisation. The emcees to these questions are appended
to the report.
On the state, discipline, and studies of the university and
the colleges, the greet majority of the professors, end many
persons of note resident in Oxford, or closely connected
with it, though not resident, have given evidence, and the
helps to the formation of a right judgment which their
arguments supply will he duly appreciated.
The governing body has withheld the information sought
from the university through its chief resident officer, the
Vice-Chancellor, and this, as has been since intimated to the
commissioners, with the purpose of disputing the legality
of the commission.
The colleges of Merton, Lincoln, All Soul's ,Corpus, St.
John's, and Pembroke have, se societies, supplied the com-
missioners with information. The dean and bursar of Bailie'
College officially answered the inquiries. From the heads of
Magdalen, St. Alban's, and St. Edmund's Halls, the com-
missioners have received a similar compliance. Individual
tutors of several other colleges have furnished information
more or less complete. From the majority of the colleges,
as societies, the commissioners have received no assistanee.
The commissioners have been favoured with copious =W-
riting respecting tne state of discipline and studies ; but, as
to the revenues of the university, and of many of the col-
leges, the commissioners have little authentic information
to communicate, as on this point, in most instances, the as-
sistance of the universities and college authorities has been
withheld.
In the inquiries addressed to the colleges, the commie-
aionen requested to he furnished with the statutes of each
society, as being not only of great historiesl value, but also
bearing directly on the present inquiry. Some of the codes
the commissioners obtained from the colleges ; roe others
they are Indebted to the courtesy of the officers of the Bri•
tish Museum, the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the Lambeth
Library, and the Record-office. To the collections thus
made six codes of statutes are still wanted. But for prac-
tical purposes these obtained will suffice, as the character of
the foundation is, in the main, so similar that recommenda-
tions for the improvement of one will, with a few modifi-
cations, be applicable to all.
The commissioners state that, whatever opposition their
inquiry may have encountered, it is satisfactory to observe
that the objects of the commission have been rightly under-
stood by a hinge body of members of the university, who
have zealously co-operated with them.
The commissioners, after giving a brief history of the con-
stitution of the university, proceed to describe its present
state and discipline.
The average number of students matriculated annually
in the first 13 years of this century was 267. It rapidly
rens at the termination of the war. In 1814 it was 359,
and in 1816, 372. The average annual number from 1814 to
1840 inclusively was 334. During that interval the largest
number admitted in one year was 421, in 1829. The matri-
culations fell off considerably from 1831 to 1834, when they
did not exceed 318. "This diminution was supposed to be
occasioned by the apprehension entertained as to the se-
curity of the established church during that period of
political agitation." In 183.5 the number, began to rise
again, vie., to 370, and in 1838 to 413. From 1840 to 1850
they avenged more than 400. The largest number ad-
mitted between those years was in 1849, when 446 was ma-
triculated. In 1851 they fell to 359. Whether this fall is
from a permanent or a temporary cause is not yet apparent.
The number actually resident now is about 1,300. There
are at this moment more studentssin Oxford than at any
time in the last two centuries.
The number of those who have passed the final 'nomi-
nation for B.A. during the last ten years has annually
averaged 287. And as the number of the matriculated
annually avenged* 400, it follows that not quite three-
fourths of those who enter the university proceed to a de-
gree. The report of the hebdomadal board states that the
number of persons now living who have been educated at
Oxford must be " between 4,009 and 5,000 more than were
living thirty years ago"—(this increase, however, does not
appear to be proportioned to the increase of the population
and wealthy of England during the last thirty years). The
total number of members)of the university on the 3lst De-
cember, 1860, was 6,060. The number of undergraduates
on the books, resident and non-resident, was 1,402. Tho
number of members of convocations was 3,291. The
remaining 1,364 members were either graduates who
had not yet acquired the franchise, or graduates
who, having ones lost it by removing their names from
the books, have not yet recovered it by the statutablc means.
The graduates of all ranks residing in Oxford do not exceed
300. These results appear small when the large endowments
of the college are considered. The education imparted does
not conduce to the advancement in life of many persons
except those intended for the church.
The number of students at Csmbridge is greater than at
Oxford, though the accommodation within the college walls
at Cambridge is more limited, and the endowments much
less considerable. This may arise from the greater facilities
for admission to a popular college is Cambridge, to the ab-
sence of a religious test at matriculation, and to the great
advantages of open fellowships and scholarships. But, how-
ever accounted for, the fact of such a superiority in numbers
proves that Oxford, which has more colleges and ampler re-
venues than Cambridge, ought to send forth a larger num-
ber of students than at present.
On the subject of college discipline the commissioners
say :—By the statutes of the University of Oxford, all stu-
dents are required to return to their chambers before
9 p.m. ; the college gates shall be then closed; and, by an
ordinance of Junes 1., the bead of the college shall occa-
sionally search the rooms of the students after that hour,
to satisfy himself of their presence. In some eases the col-
lege statutes require much earlier hours. According to the
present practice, no under-graduate resident is allowed to
go out after the gates are closed at a quarter past 9 o'clock
at night ; but, in moot colleges, all are at liberty to nutria
out till midnight, the exact hour of their entrance after the
closing of the gates being notified to the authorities of the
college. The porter receives a considerable part of his in-
come from the fees levied on each member whose entrance
he thus reports.
The commiesioners state that the chief forms of extrava-
gance in Oxford include some petty in themselves, but
which swell to a great aggregate expenditure. A student's
tobacconist's bill frequently amounts to 401. a year. The
growing taste for furniture and decorations lead students
into debts which are ruinous. Another cause of expense is
the habit of dining at the inns, taverns, or clubs, in and
about Oxford. Intoxication, which has been almost
banished from general society in the larger world, still
exists to a considerable extent amongst the students. The
supper parties in and out of the walla lead invariably to
more less of this. Tandem driving, bunting, and steeple-
chasing also contribute towards the extravagance by which
ruinous debts are incurred. But great as the evils are, it
appears from the evidence that a due exercise of energy and
judgment on the part of the authorities could speedily effect
reform in these matters. Dr. Jett in his testimony, states, in
=ug of the supper parties, that there is not say "real
ty in suppressing such thinn ;"and the temporary ex-
element felt seven years ago when the Quintain and Iris
Clubs were abolished, soon ceased, whilst the better sort of
students were thankful for their abolition. The evils of the
facility with which credit is given and extortion practised
by the tradesmen are set forth, but with these the public
has already become acquainted. In the course of the evi-
dime venous, and in some places conflicting, testimony
has been given as to the best means for effecting reform iu
theme matters. But theta:Roof the discipline is shown to be
such as not merely to be iniffective as a check, but more
potent as a stimulant to maey of the evils which the stu-
dents and their friends have cause to deplore.
The ordinary and unavoidable expenses of the university
are 7,0001. a year ; its ordinary income is 7,6001. a year.
The report recommends res:ecting the revenue that publi-
city should be given to the university accounts, and accounts
of all fees payable. Some of the fees are levied without
authority, and idle forms are kept up for the sake of
fees, which in theUnivenity of Cambridge an intelligible
statement of the University fees, drawn up in a tabular
form, appears every year. The payments from students
are Not included in the college income of 7,5001. • year.
The proctors receive 7001. a car each, the pro-proctors
1204 the Wells 1,5501., and the examiners receive 1,6001.
a year. The University pays towards paving sad lighting
Oxford 2,0001. year.
As the University possesses considerable property in the
lands, and as the tendency of gold has been to fall in
value, and that tendency appears likely to continue, there
IS danger that incomes arising from this wares will suffer
a great diminution. It would, therefore, be a great benefit
if the University were permitted to invest its funded pro-
perty in land, and the eannsisionen refer to her Maiesty's
gracious consideration that a limas of mortmaia would be
requisite for this purpose.
The object of many of the recommendations is to emanci-
pate the university and (alleges, and enable them to ex-
tend their utility themselves. The report is, therefore,
zither a beginning than a esomplete system of reform. That
=reform is, however, serious, extensive, and par-
or there is not an office or an institution, or a
practice in the university, from the appointment of the
vice chancellor to the debt* of the undergraduatess—from
the government of the unircrsity to the time of the long:va-
cation, which is not affected. The mere summary of the
Drown
edalterations extends to 47 heads. The emninbaion
held it. s••
gs from October 19, 1860, to April 23, 1852,
proposes to give the university. with proper
seldom with more than an interval of a week, and generally
with less.
power of self-government. To carry this
porewrZeireinPbtoirurtil
affect it is proposed to create a senate, pre-
serving the name of the " congregation," consisting of
all heads of houses, the proctors, all professor, and publie
*toren, together with the senior tutors of all colleges and
halls, and to give this boil autiserty to originate measures,
owl power to appoint doles's:tee, or standing committees,
hoepaelal_ reepoom This body le eaggeeted is an addition
bra Bald breaches of the academie logedatare, the
hebdomadal board Mill retaining its executive powers and
ileelghe to originals useaseree, and the convocation still
ba
sis that veto Ma which prescription has narrowed its
as . Boa ea addition, however, has long beet
estaieml, end IN meetly its pines was supplied by a
epodes of mined committee or conference, that mediated
betimes the hebdomadal board and the convocation--10
Ludo and Costume of Ms university. It is further ... 's -4
ir-."
Is give the most impealase inactions of the university,
._„...--*
supervision of studies. die aptisont of examiners, and 'e Upr
management of the poblie likewise, to the professorial Wig 414 ... pm
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