The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-26 00:00:00

"4

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY, Apsu,2s.
FELLOWS OF COLLEGES' DECLARATION BILL
After our report left yesterday,
Mr. B. Hors spoke against, and Kr. J. GOLD 81111) in
favour el the bill.
Mr. SCHREIBER, as a resident member of many years
at Cambridge, took on himself to deny die grievance which
the bill suggested that it was neoessary to remedy.
Mr. NEATE argued that the state was entitled to
modify and re-arrange such endowments as those on which
the universities were based; and generally supported the
Mr. SELWYN, in dealing with the above assertion of
Mr. Neste, maintained that though the State by means of
15opusroceedinga, might interfere to modify charitable and
• • institutions, the principle of adhering to the will
intentions of founders was never lost sight of. He
then combated the objections to the existing system of the
universities, asserting that there was no appreciable griev-
ant`, to individuals, or any real injury to the colleges, so
long as nonconformists were admitted to the educational
advantages of those institutions, although they were ex-
cluded from their governing bodies.
Mr. T. CHAMBERS denied the assumption that the col-
leges were founded solely for the maintenance of the esta-
blished church, and therefore any concessions founded on
that assumption were not adequate to the demand, which
was that the universities were national institutions. He
did not put the question on the ground of individual
grievance, but on that of broad national right to every
educational advantage which the universities could afford.
While fully admitting the principle of religion as an ele-
ment of all education, he contended that the universities
were meet defective and wanting in religious instruction,
and he believed that even in this respect the operation of
this bill would be beneficial.
Sir W. HEATHOOTE, in the course of an argument
against the bill, pointed out that the assertion that the
endowments of the universities were not in strict con-
raexion with the established church—if it wee carried out
to its extent—would render the Roman catholic@ the only
rightful claimants to those endowments, and they were the
only elms of nonconformists who were excluded from the
operation of the bill. The measure was a wthil and ill-
considered measure, which could only lead to difficulties
and ought to be rejected.
On a division the motion for going into committee was
tarried by 206 to 186.
The bill was then passed through committee.
Mr. WHALLEY moved the second reading of the Turn-
pike Roads Bill, the oblect of which is to abolish tolls
generally, and to substitute a system of rates for the
keeping up of the roads.

BRIDGEWATER ELECTION.
Mr. BAXTER brought up the report of the Bridgewater
election committee, to the effect that Mr. Westropp was
mot duly elected, and that Mr. Kinglake was ; that Mr.
Westropp was, by his agents, guilty of bribery and treat-
ing, but that it was not proved that such bribery and
treating were within his knowledge ; and that there was
reason to believe that corrupt practices extensively pre-
vailed at the last election for the borough of Bridgewater.
The house adjourned at five minutes to 6 o'clock.