The Express.
London, England, 1857-10-14 00:00:00

COURT OP ALDERMEN:

The following interesting conversation took place
yesterday in the Court of Aldermen
The LoRD MAYOR—Thin remind. me of a m►tter of pri-
vilege. The crown has each year been intim habit of end-
ing eight buck. to the Lord Mayor. This year I have not
had them, although I have applied for them. (Laughter.)
Alderman Rose—l never had the Lucks to which I was
entitled forwarded to me, when I woe sheriff (Laughter.)
Alderman COPELAND—It in a will known fact that the
aldermen are very fond of venison, and therefere it is hard
to cut it off. The corporation is in the habit of providing
livery for the officers of state, and I would suggest that as
they have atopped the venison we should atop the clothing.
(Much laughter and "so, no.")
The Lord Mayor—The Recorder gays he has never had hie
three bucks.
The Recorder—lt Le perhaps important that it should be
known that this is not a mere privilege granted, but it in an
absolute right. Formerly the citirerm of London had the
right of hunting in the royal kends, and it was then agreed
that in lien of their hunting in the royal forests a certain
amount of venison should be sent to the officers of the cor-
poration. Therefore this was oampounding a legal right which
the officers of the corporation possess. It is not a mere rift
of the crown ; but it is a composition in lien of an encient
right. (Hear, bear.)

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.—The Seaton was opened
yesterday, when Professor Cressy, A.M., delivered en in-
troductory address on the seientihc and practical study of
history, before • numerous audicaos, composed of the
students and their fiends. The learned professor stared
that during the seventeen years in which be had held the
professorship of history in the college he had often been
asked by strangers end students what was the best mode of
learning history. This had induced him to inquire into the
precise object and proper subdivision of history, treating it
as • arra To the student of history • question rose
apes the very threshold of the subject, and that was, what
was meant by history? The word ass used to designate
knowledge obtained by inquiry, the result of inquiry, and
the book which contained the knowledge so acquired.
History, however, was not only[the knowledge which was
the result of inquiry into the past, but was that description
of knowledge which, while it informed no of the past, served
also to throw light upon the present, and guide us through
the future. It was not only necessary fur the student to '
acquire a knowledge of past erects, but it was also name-
rry that he should know not only what happened but how '
it happened, end whether what had been done had been
well dons. Lord Bolingbroke had declared that man was
the true subject of every history. True history, therefore,
might be said to deel not only with human actions sad
events, but events closely connected with human actions.
He recommended those who wished to study history to keep
these objects in view:—First, a clear knowledge of what
has pored; secondly, • clear judgment am to that know-
ledge ; and, thirdly, the instruction to be derived thence as
to the present end the future. The energetic men sad the
elms or of human nature, was beat calculated to m-
eted in the study of history, as the everyday events of life
rapidly became matter of history. That which was in the
newspapers to-day became mistrial for the historian to-
morrow. The learned professor having teased the great
Thucydidean division., concluded by pointing out those sub-
jects of study which, in his opinion, were best calculated to
qualify the student fer the high dmiee which belonged to
the reasoning, the educated, and the moral man.