The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-09 00:00:00

THE VACANT BSAT FOR OXFORD

UNIVERHITY.

THE University of Oxford is suddenly called on
to take her share of electioneering excitement.
The custom which gives her burgesses a life tenure
of their seats, unless they venture, like Sir ROBERT
Pm and Mr. GLADSTONE, to rise above the
decorous level of conservative partizanship,
promised to save her the trouble of contest next
November. Now, however, Sir WILLIAM HEATII-
COTE'S retirement casts upon the University
the burden of choosing a successor. It is not im-
possible that a candidate may be found who,
even at this juncture, may unite the suffrages
of Conservatives and Liberals. The latter section
of the constituency have long looked to Sir
Roursom Ewalt as the natural heir to
Sir WILLIAM HEATIIOOTE'S seat ; and his
high personal character, his scholastic at-
tainments, and his long connexion with tho
University, make up an array of claims
which, at any lees critical moment than the
present, might have deterred the Conservative
party in the University from offering any serious
opposition. It so happens that the very circum-
stances wbichwill lead the supporters of the Govern-
ment to contest every seat in the coming election, and
so might have been considered fatal to Sir ROUX-
DELL Pszaiza's unopposed return, seem rather to
point in the opposite direction. His hesitation on
the question of the Irish Church may, perhaps,
atone in Conservative eyes for his general support of
Mr. GLADSTONE. If this should prove to be the case,
the University could hardly find a more fitting
representative. If, from any cause, Sir ROUNDELL
PALMER should decline to stand, it is to be hoped
that the Liberal members of convocation will not
be long in finding a proper candidate. It is too
much the fashion to assume that the University
of Oxford is wholly given over to Toryism.
On the contrary, we believe that there is a good
deal of genuine liberalism among the younger
clergy, of all theological schools, while among the
elder there is considerable latent indignation at the
way in which they, in common with the Whigs,
were " dished " by the government in 1867.
Honest men who had boon induced to turn
out Mr. GLADSTONE because he advocated
a moderate measure of Reform, have not
forgotten that Mr. HARDY, when it suited
his turn, was perfectly ready to support a far
more revolutionary measure. Nor do wo feel at
all sure that the question of the Irish Church
will be any real obstacle to the success of a Liberal
candidate. Of course we do not moan to imply
that there will not be plenty of obstacles, and
those very serious ones ; but we do not think that
their number will be much increased by tho events
of last session. The idea of disestablishment is by
no means obnoxious to a considerable number of
the clergy, especially of the High Church section.
Nor is that reaction against Liberal ideas which at
the last election was so noticeable among young
men who had recently taken their M.A. degree, by
any means eo marked now. Altogether, therefore,
we should by no means despair of seeing half the
representation of the University wrested from the
Conservatives, if a candidate likely to unite all
shades of Liberal opinion can but be discovered in
time.