The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-22 00:00:00

ABOLITION OF UNIVERSITY TESTS.

A meeting was held at Edinburgh on Thursday,
ailed " to ommider the present exclusive character of the
Scottish Universities." Heidi* Melville was called to the
ohm.
Mr. MONCIIEIFF moved the first resolution, to the
effect that the royal commissioners appointed to visit the
Scottirh Universities, including, among others, the Earl of
Rosebery, Earl of Haddington, Earl of Aberdeen, Viscount
Melville, late Lord President Hope, Lord Justice-General
Boyle, Lord Jostles. Clerk Hope, Lord Monereiff, 11. Heine
Drummond, Esq., M.P., and the Rev. George Cook, D.D.,
having declared in their report, presented to Parliament
in 1831, that "the Universities of Scotland are not Ecclesi-
astical Ind:Rations, not being more connected with the
church than with any other profession,—that they
are intended for the general education of the country,
and, in truth, possess mareoly any ecclesiastical
feature, except that they have a certain number of pro-
fessors for the purpose of teaching theology, in the
same manner as the other sciences ere taught," and
that " neither their constitutions, endowments, nor prowl-
lions for public instruction, are founded on theyrinciple that
the universities are appendages of the church, '—this meet.
ing, concurring, as it tally does, in the views of the 138111131i1-
sinners, iv of opinion that the time has now come for giving
recital effect to these principles, by rendering the Scottish
universities de facto such as they were intended to be—
national.
The Rev. Dr. M'CRIE seconded the resolution, which was
then put to the meeting and unanimously adopted.
The Rev. Dr. HARPER moved the second resolution,
that the Scottish universities, in their buildings, chairs,
libraries, and museums, being endowed and maintained for
the national benefit, it seems but fair and reasonable that all
properly qualified candidates, of irreproachable character,
be should alike eligible to all the professorships of literature,
science, and philosophy, which their curricula embrace.
Dr. RENTON, as a member of the Church of Scotland,
bad great pleasure in seconding the motion. The resolu-
tion was then adnpted.
Sheriff CRAW, URD moved the next resolution—" That
the existing university tests, which were originally imposed
by the Scottish parliament in 1690 (and subsequently em•
bodied in the Act of Security, at the union with England
in 1707), for the special purpose of excluding Roman catho-
lic' and episeopalians from the university chain, and which,
if now strictly enforced and conscientiously taken, would
exclude all but • small minority of presbyterians, have,
in the altered circumstance:l of the country, become an

intolerable grievance, and are calculated, not ouly to
injure the universities themselves, by limiting the sphere of
election, but also to break down the uniting and humanising
influence of a high system of national education into wets-
rian fragments, and thus to inculcate. even in the mind of
youth that narrow, contracted spirit which it is by all means
PO desirable to avoid." He contended that the operation of
the tests, in the present day, was in direct opposition to the
intention with which they were originally imposed.
The Rev. Dr. ALEXANDER having seconded the reso-
lution, it was carried unanimously.
The Rev. Dr. TAYLOR, of Glasgow, then moved
the fourth resolution, to the effect that whilst this meet-
ing seeks the entire abolition of sU professorial tests, es
not only unnecessary, but proved, indeed, to be positively
deceptive, and utterly powerless in their operation for good,
they are convinoed that the highest objects of all enlightened
educationists in reference to appointments to university
chairs would be effectually secured by the healthful exercise
of public opinion, in connexion with judicious patronage and
efficient superintendence.
Dr. BRYCE, of Belfast, seconded the resolution, which was
also adopted.
Dr. M'L &GOAN moved that a petition, founded en the
above resolutions, be presented to both houses of parliament :
and that a committee be appointed, to communicate with the
Lord Advocate, on the introduction of a bill towards attain-
ing the object in view; which was seconded by Dr.
SCHMITZ, and carried.

POVERTY AND IDLENESS IN THE HIGHLANDS.-
An adjourned meeting of the general committee for the ma
nagement of the Highland Relief Fund was held on Thurs-
day lut, at Perth, to receive and eoaid. r the report of the
sub-committee as to the disposal of the fund. Lord Kinnaird
presiding. Mr. Flockhart reed the report, which stated that
a majority were of opinion that the immediate cause or ob-
ject of the subscription had now terminated, and expressed
themselves favourable to the application of the money for
other puttees'. They farther observed, that as ragged
schools were now proved to be attended with such beneficial
effects as regarded the community at large, they would
recommend that 1,5001. be set aside for that pur-
pose. and that the balance be lodged in the hands of
trusters to inset future visitations of destitution !Ce-
ntrally, but especially in the highlands and islands.
Alter a long discussion, in the course of which much differ-
ence of opinion prevailed as to the appropriation of the fund,
Lord Kinnaird said that, seeing this, he was convinced that
they must ultimately take advice of counsel on the matter.
Mr. Butter, of Fukally, wished to benefit the Highlanders
by the introduction of manufactures among them; but he
was afraid that any scheme of the sort would prove a failure.
Edinburgh had seat them boats and nets, and men to learn
them to fish, but they could never he induced to work.
Mr. Sheriff Barclay moved that the Dean of Faculty and
Mr. Inglis, advocate, should be applied to for advice, and
that the secretary be authorized to call a general meeting of
the subscribers so soon as the advice email be obtained. This
motion was unanimously "greed to.