The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-01 00:00:00

THE OXFORD EXAMINATION.

MANCHESTER, Morns.
The priren and certificates &warted to the inn-
awful candidates at the examination held here last May
were presented this afternoon, at ;t o'clock, in the theatre
of the Royal Institution in thin city. There was a numerous
assemblage of ladies and gentlemen to witness the distri-
bution. The Bishop of If ANCIIE,TER presided ; and amongst
ethers present were Mr. Barley, M.P., and Professor
Greenwood.

After the roadie( of the report of the results of the
examiostiou, _

The Right Rev. ellallits %X called attention to the gra-
dually increasing success of these examinations during the '
four years they had been established. Not only had the
number of candidates increased, but also the number of
those who had distinguished themselves ; and, what was
especially gratifying, the number of those who bad pared
successfully hail been slowly and steadily increasing, to the
present number of 72. Without wishing to lay undue
stress on the comparative success of 3lanchester as regards
other places, he was glad to find that, even relatively, this
city held the position which it ought to hold Amon
the other 13 centres of examination. He could
riot, for the third time, undertake the gratifying
duty which was given him to-day without retouching that
we ought no longer to suffer these prizes to be diatnbuted
at the expense of the gentlemen on whose contributions
they had mainly depended. These examinations had now
reached ouch • degree of consistency and importance that
the 'Andean, ought no longer to be rewarded by private
benevolence and liberality, but something should be dose
to constitute somebody or other coemectell with the exami-
nations, and give them a permanency and a certainty they
bad not before. We should raise a fund for prima, not
suffer the mestere of the different schools to be coatri-
bating their money, besides their pains and their iniluatry.
(Applause.) He had been for many years con-
seated with education, having seen it in all its
beaches, from the large public school down to the
elemestary schen!, and he never felt more impressed then
at premed, and from what he hail witnessed during the hut
few years, with adeep and serious sense of the debt of gran-
ted* we owed to the masters of thee@ schools. (Cheers.)
He bad the pleasure of seeing here to-day a gentleman
whom, daring the 14 years he (the bishop) had been in this
diocese, he bad known to he a consistent friend soil sup-
porter of Mundial, and of whatever would promote the
well-being of the people; and he trusted Le might be
allowed to dint Mr. Rader in the cause, that they might
be ematiad together to do something to put these diatribe-
times OW ea improved bunt (Hear, hear.)
The prises and certificates having been distributed,
Hi. SrLOILESU said there were still use or two points on
which he had • few words to say. It was much to be
regretted that the system still prevailed of removing the
pupils from school at so early an age, for commercial pur-
suits. lie thought there might be scmething done in the
way of scholarships, or other advantage to be gained by
the pupils, which might enable them, without being bee.
deasame to their parents, to continue for another year at
school. It was impossible to overrate the benefit which a
year looser at school might give to boys at the age when
Lt./were now usually removed. (Applanse.) He was
to °retiree that out of the 72 youths who bail passed
MarecLeeter 24 hail also thought right to satidy the
examiners in the reunite of faith and religion. He
hail no doubt that those who had abstained had
done so conscientiously and rightly but at the
present period it was • matter of considerable importance
that there should he on the part of our universities so
large, and rich, and hlieml • mode of examination, on •
subject of this kind, that the Christians of any sect or
party who professed in sincerity the name of the Redeemer
might be recognised to the full. (Hear, hear.) He there-
fore trusted that when the system of examinations came
eider revision there might be such a widening and ea-
laming of the terms, that not merely those who agreed with
himself, but everyone who professed the name of the
Redeemer in sincerity might be admitted and recognised as
having satisfied the examiners in this wet important and
invaluable teat. (Veen.) Referring for • moment to the
strong disappmbetine which was being excited by a meson.*
lately put forth by the Committee of Council on Education,
although this was neither the time nor the piece to go into
the question, he wade' say that while no step should be
taken without the mist careful allowance for the exigencies
of the case, and the circumstances of those to whom was
committed the guidance of public business, yet we should
firmly insist that the government ghould not merely per-
functorily, or carelessly, or wantonly take upon itself the
"dentine of the people. And we must see that the «In-
eetional proviaiou fee those who could not provide educe-
boo for themselves was 'Sootily and regularly kept up, as
a moue of public duty. (Hear, beer.)
Mr. BAZLET having taken the chair, a voto of thanks was
given to the bishop for presiding.
Mr. KIMMEL explained that the greater portion of the
I east of prises had this year bees defrayed by the aug-
mented entrance fem.