The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-15 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY OP LONDON.

The annual meeting of the Convocation of the
University was held yesterday at Burlington-house ; Dr.
eronaaa, chairman of the committee of convocation,
presiding.
The working plans of the new university building
were presented by Dr. CARPENTER, the registrar, on
the part of the senate, who explained that it had
been found impossible to produce photographs of
the elevation, the original design for which was in
the library of the House of Commons. He added
that Mr. Pennethorn, the architect, had shown a dis-
position to meet the views of the senate as to the in-
ternal arrangement, but that the Board of Works would
not allow any interference with the elevation. As origi-
nally designed the elevation was in the classic style,
which Mr. Cowper, while he was at the head of the de-
wtment, insisted upon, but Lord John Manners, when
be succeeded to the office, directed that something in the
medieval style should be prepared for consideration. That
was done, and he (Dr. Carpenter) being requested by Lord
John Manners to state which he preferred, while disclaim-
ing any right to speak for the senate, expressed an opinion
in favour of the mediaeval, rather than the classic,
design. The board had accepted the suggestions of the
senate as to the theatre which, as now arranged, would ac-
commodate 800. He tendered this explanation, because
the discussion which took place in the House of Commons
conveyed • very erroneous impression of what actually
occurred.

Mr. W. P. O'RE/LLT, 8.A., M.P., presented the re-
port of the annual committee, which, he said, gave a his-
torical account of what had taken place during the year,
and as the more important suggestions it contained would
be made the subject of resolutions he need not further
advei to beyond moving them. He moved therefore the
reception of the report, together with the following reso-
lutions, viz. :—"Ttuitit be ao instruction to the annual com-
mittee for next year to co-operate with the senate in every
effort that it may be thought desirable to make in order to
secure the full and practical recognition by the legislature
of the claims of the university to parliamentary represen-
tation." " That in the opinion of convocation all persons
who have passed the Matriculation Examination in this
university are entitled to any electoral privileges which
may be accorded to persons who have passed any Senior
Middle Clams Examination of any university in the United
Kingdom." He explained that the object was to obtain
two members for the university instead of one, which, as
the Chancellor of the Exchequer had shown a disposition
to depart from the mystic number of 658 members, he
thought possible. As to the second resolution, it merely
proposed, that if the educational franchise was &dented, the
passing of the Matriculation Examination should qualify,
in regard to the right of voting for counties or boroughs.
Dr. stemoN seconded the motion, but on the suggestion
of a member the resolutions were separated, and upon the
first a discussion arose, in the course of which the claim of
the university to two members was canvassed pro and con.
In reply to a question from Mr. CERAM, as to what steps
had been taken to secure a second representative,
The CHAIRMAN said that the circumstances had not
so much altered since last year as to give rise to any hope
that they were likely to obtain the second member; at the
same time, as by the Scotch bill the Scotch universities
were to have a larger representation, it might he desirable
that the subject should again be considered by the annual
committee. (Hear, hear.)
. . .

The motion was then put and carried.
The second resolution was next put, but was opposed by
Mr. J. Goldsmid, M.P., on the ground that as the naive:-
eity matriculation was so superior to the middle class
examinations it would lower the character of the university
to adopt the same qualification; and supported by Mr.
Jewel, Q.C.
Mr. Liwx thought the resolution inferred that there
would be a large proportion of the students of the univer-
sity who, having matriculated, had no intention of going
up afterwards for a degree.
The resolution having further been spoken to by the
Rev. P. Swim, who said the resolution did not touch the
fancy franchises, and the matriculation examination was a
test answering to the middle-class examination for those
who did not go on to the degree; and by Mr. thilux, who
also supported the resolution, it was carried.
A resolution amending the standing orders in regard to
the fees payable by members of convocation and reducing
them to te. • year or a life composition of It. was, after
considerable discussion, adopted by • large majority.
In reference to the supplemental charter to which the
assent of the meeting was intended to be asked theCnAta-
MAN explained that it had not yet been sent down to the
University. A special meeting would be called on the
subject.
Some criticisms upon the terms of the charter were inter-
posed upon a motion for adjournment moved for the pur-
pose by Mr. Quain, but not without a protest from
several members of the violation of the rules of debate and
of the standing orders of convocation.
Mr. ROl3Ol it moved, as recommended in the report, an
instruction to the annual committee for the ensuing year
to adopt ,uchateps as they might deem advisable to obtain
a suitable budding for the University. They had not been
consulted as to the design, and when they complained they
were told they were too late. If the design proposed by
the government architect were carried out, the building
would be an object of ridicule.
The motion was seconded by Dr. PTS SMITH, who criti-
cised both the classical and the Gothic designs as wholly
unsuitable for the pumorse.
Mr. CREAK inquired whether Convocation would have
an opportunity of expressing its opinion in reference to
the proposed building. li
The CH A IRMA), replied that the crown provided the
building, but had taken the opinion of the University as
to the accommodation required. Parliament, however,
required last year that the design should he laid before
the House of Commons, and the dravrinp were now before
the House of Commons, but what would be the result he
could not say. He was, however, told that no
would be made with the front of the building :TX
House of Commons assented to the design. Perhaps the
beet course would be in the mean time for the annual
committee to canvass the members of the House of Com-
mons.

The Rev. P. SMITH submitted an amendment by way of
rider, requesting that the plans and elev►tions might be
submitted to the members of Convocation.

This was seconded by Mr. CREAN, and, with the original
resolution, carried.
The ballots for the election of three members to be sub-
mittal to the crown to select one from as a member of the
artiste resulted in the return of Mr. E. Charles, Rev. F.
W. Farrar, and Mr. J. Girling Fitch, but the first-named,
having the larger number of votes, will, in accordance
with wage. be selected.
Some other business mostly of a forma character having
been transacted, the proceedings terminated.

LADIES' MEDICAL CtILLEOE.— The report for
three years to the present month states that the third
annual session of the society's teaching operations has
closed with results that an both satisfactory and promis-
ing. Fifty ladies have entered as students, of whom twelve
entered during the first amnion, nine during the second,
and twenty-nine during the third. .Of these ladies, ten
were widowed, fifteen married, and twenty-five single.
Some were amateur students, who attended the lectures
merely as a means of personal education, nine were mid-
wives previously in practice, one the matron of a mater-
nity hospital, ten were sisters, daughters, or wives of
medical men, one was prepared to go to Delhi II•O missionary
in connexion with the Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel, a considerable number were or would have been
governesses, and some were of no occupation. Many other
gen.lewomen would gladly have availed them-
selves of the college, but were prevented by
want of pecuniary means. It is hoped that
the foundation of scholarships will shortly extend the
advantages of the colleges, an honorarium to gentlewomen
thus placed, and who, being of suitable personal charac-
ter, pass a satisfactory examination in general knowledge.
Probably there is no object upon which benevolent end
discriminating persons could more judiciously bestow a
few hundred pounds than by giving their name to a per-
manent scholarship in connexion with the infancy of this
important public institution. The advantages which this
college will provide are now becoming so generally appre-
ciated that the number of students will no doubt steadily
Mclean every session, and the prediction that the college
would eventually prove self-supporting will soon be veri-
fied. But the organization of the college is still very
incomplete. In order that ladies may be enabled fairly to
compete with gentlemen in this section of medical prac-
tice, a museum of illustration and library of re-
ference must be provided, while a charter of in-
corporation has now become indispensable, in
order to give character and proper public recognition
to the examinations which, henceforth, will distinguish
properly trained Unties from the incompetent, and often
unworthy, persons who now call themselves midwives. It
is obvious that funds for these objects could not be ob-
tained by imposing disproportionate fees upon the stu-
f dents, while such an attempt would only be an obstacle
to gentlewomen, whose entrance to this field of usefulness
should be facilitated. The present stale of fees is adjusted
so as to make the college self-supporting when put into
full working order. Not only has the sun of £4M 14s. in
fees been cheerfully paid, but it is a fact of much algid-
ficance that a further sum of 4112 ns. has been voluntarily
subscribed to the society's fends from among the students ;
and there is no doubt that, as these ladies succeed in
practice, they will become substantial commistors in for.
warding the general objects of the society. The committn
ask the benevolent public to consider the many-sided good
which they are accomplishing, and treat to receive that
additional support which is now urgently required to ex-
tend and consolidate their work. The addresses of lady-
midwives, and all particulars, may be obtained of the
lady secretary, at 4, Fitsroy-square, W.
Tin Ixerrrvrios or Civit ENoutzsits.—At the
meeting of the members of this body on the 14th inst.
the president, Mr. John Fowler, announced that the late
Mrs. Locke, the widow of Mr. Joseph Locke, MP, past
president, had bequeathed to the Institution of Civil Engi-
neers the full leurth portrait, by Grant, of her late hus-
band, tngetkier with a sum of 2,0001., free of legacy duty.
ADMIRALTY, MAY 14.—APPOINTMENTS.—Lieu-
tenants—A. B. C. Booth. to the Canieleon ; E. F. Day, to
the Mahlar. Assistant-Surgeon—Dr. T. D. Allison, addi-
tional of Fiord, for charge of Lisbon Hospital. Chief
Engineer—J. W. Carpenter, to the Asia, for charge of
engines of the Donee. Engineer—d. Wilson, to the Tra-
falgar. First Class Assistant Engineer—J. Glayshir, to
tho Dauntless.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(THIS DAY.)

The SrLucre took the eba'r et a qrart r put 12 o'clock.

SUNDAY TRADING B'LL.

A number of petitions were pre. ented in favour of the
bill, and two or three against it.
Mr. T. HUGHES, in moving that this Lill be read •
second time, mid there was a great am not of u.istroder •
standing and prejudice on the matter, but he thought he
should be able to remove the mistinds retarding to the hill.
The law on the subject lay in a r at, ~e 1. The first
statt.as on the subject was the act of Henry VI., which
was in its mope pretty much the same as that of
this bill. That stature recited that fairs al iair.
kets had been held on Sundays, "to the abuse of
their souls," and it enacted that no more fairs or markets
should be held on the Sunday except for four Sundays in
harvest time. That statute seemed to have been suE•
dent for nearly 230 years. The next statute was pawed
in the first year of the reign of Charles 1., and the object
of it was to enforce religious worship of • certain kind,
and penalties were imposed on attending certain spate
such as bull baiting. That statute he admitted was ob-
jectionable. The statute of Charles IL, the law now in
force, was also open to the objection that it was to enforce
the observance of the Sunday as a religions institution.
The provisions of that statute were extremely striet
It prohibited entirely all trading with the ex•
oeption that cooked provisions in inns might be
sold, and milk before nine in the morning and after four i•
the afternoon. There was another act that mackerel might
be sold in Billingsgate on the Sunday ; and another,whieh
was passed in the reign of William IV., which enacted
that bread should not be baked or sold after halliest
one in the day ; then there was an act pared
in the present reign, which allowed the issuing of crimiaaj
warrants on the Monday, and another act was passed a
the 14th year of the reign of her Majesty, repealing that
provision of the statute of Henry VI. which allowed
fairs to be held on four Sundays in the year. A select
committee on the subject in 1948 reported
that Sunday trading was carried on to • great
extent ; that 5,000 tradesmen and 15,000 smitten%
were thereby deprived of their day of rest, and that there
was a growing desire to prevent Sunday trading ; and the
minority of the committee made • separate report recom-
mending that a measure should be introduced enacting
that no goods should be exposed for sale on
the Sunday, that none but articles of nem-
silty should be sold, that no shops should is
open after a certain hour, and that penalties
should be accumulated after • third conviction. In Las.
beth, in 1857, a district was visited in which out of 1,41 if
shops 1,0:44 were open teethe sale of goods. It was worse now,
and in certain parts of Lambeth the grievance was intoler-
able, In the other parts of London the inquiries showed that
instead of 20,000 persons being engaged on the Sunday there
were not leas than 100,000 so employed. From the state-
ments which had been made to hint he believed
that nine-tenths of these persons were desirous
that Sunday trading should be prohibited. The
law was ineffective. It had been tried. Summonses
had been issued, but the parties not attending there In/
no resource but to name • warrant of distress against the
goods. But in many cases the goods were of a perithable
nature, and bad been sold and consumed the
day before. In other cases a penalty of 51.
was imposed, but the tradesmen merely offered
to pay in advance. He did not think it would be prudent
or just to put down Sunday trading altogether. At the
same time he denied that there was any force in the ob.
jection that this bill legalised Sunday trading. Nor was the
bill intended to 'flake people religious by act of parliament;
H it were, he would have nothing to do with it. The bill
enacted that certain articles should not be pee-
-1 mitted to be sold at all on the Sunday. Perishable articles,
each as butcher's meat and vegetables, were allowed to he
sold before 9 o'clock in the morning, and articles sold at
pastrycooks' up to 10 o'clock. The bill did not interfere
with public.houses and beershops.
Mr. FitESHFIELD said he was entirely opposed to
the principle of this bill. He believed the present
law to be better. It should be called • bill to license
Sunday trading. If the boo. member would bring in a
bill to render the present law more stringent he would
go with him, but believing this bill would have •ha
effect by rendering that legal which was now illegal, be
moved that the bill be read a second time that day ix
months.

Mr. POWELL said there was no doubt an evil for which
• remedy ought to be provided ; but in country places the
bill would no doubt be regarded as legalising Sunday
trading to • certain extent.
Sir B. BRIDGES supported the second reading, bat
objected to some of the details, and said he must vote
against the third reading usages they were altered in com-
mittee.