The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-09 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

THE COMMEMORATION.
OXFORD, June 8.
The splendid weather of the present commemoration is
almost without a parallel in Oxford memories. An azure
sky, a brilliant sun, and a warm yet fresh and lively air,
have combined their charms, and have rendered the season
one which will not easily fade from recollection. Despite
the fatigues of two balls on two successive evenings, both
kept up till after 4 o'clock, Oxford at an early hour was
alive with fluttering robes of gownsmen and gay costumes of
so-called " lionesses," all bending their way to the special
scene of interest--the Sheldonian Theatre. Rumours had
been rife to the effect that the proceedings would be of the
quietest and the dullest. Half the University, it was said,
had gone down—the list of notables who were to receive
degrees was small and unattractive—it was expected that
the area would be almost a blank space, and that the under-
graduates' gallery would be nearly empty. But rumour (as
so often happens) had been unveracious, and the actual
assemblage proved as crowded as usual, and very much too
noisy. For a while the Undergraduates, who were early
admitted to their gallery, contented themselves with mode-
rate demonstrations of their feelings, cheering wtth perhaps
less spirit than usual, "the Queen," " the Prince of Wales,"
" the Princess of Wales," "Lord Derby," and "the Ladies."
After a short time the area began to fill, and the usual
marks of disapproval at the conduct of persons in the area
took place. "Hats off" was shouted persistently whenever
a stranger or antique M.A. happened to forget to uncover,
and groans and cries assailed with especial violence the in-
dividual who ventured inside the doors wearing a white hat
or white over-coat. The white hat seems to act on the
Undergraduate as the red rag upon the Spanish bull—it
absolutely infuriates him, and till it is removed from sight
he yells and raves as if he were downright mad. When the
area had been brought into tolerable order by the stentorian
shouts of self appointed guardians of property, cries politi-
cal, social, literary, &c., were reintroduced. Lord Derby
was cheered vigorously, Mr. Bright's name was received
with hisses, Mr. Gladstone's with mingled applause and
groans, the latter somewhat predominating. Garihaldi'd
name was the signal for a storm of applause, as was also the
Queen's. Prussia and Austria were well hissed, while Den-
mark received unmistakable marks of sympathy. " The
North" was faintly cheered, " the South" vigorously, and a
Southern officer who appeared in the area in his uniform,
received several rounds of applause, which he acknow-
ledged by bowing repeatedly to the gallery. To come
nearer home, we must mention that the authorities of the
place seemed less popular than usual. The Vice-Chancellor
indeed and the Senior Proctor were fairly cheered, but the
Junior Proctor, two of the Pro-Proctors, and Convocation
were held in evident disfavour. Convocation obtained its
groans in contrast with loud cheers for Professor Jowett,
and its unpopularity was no doubt connected with its refusal
of the proposal to raise that gentleman's stipend. Among
novel cries we heard "Mr. Stansfeld"—(faint cheers)—
" Banting"—(ob, oh)—and "You're another," a recent pub-
lication—(laughter). "The Cambridge Eight," 'The
Volunteers," and "Captain Jones" were likewise given, and
elicited applaueive shouts. It is scarcely necessary to add
hat "The Ladies" also received their full share of the
honours. The ladies, the young ladies, the ladies who
danced till 4 o'clock, the chaperones, the old ladies, the
ladies in white, the ladies in black, the ladies in lilac, the
ladies in hats, and finally the rest of them, were proposed
and aecepte lon all hands with a pleasing unanimity. At
a few minutes after 11 o'clock the real business of the day
began by the entrance of the procession, consisting of the
Vice-Chancellor, the noblemen, the directors, and the Proc-
tors, preceded by the beadles with their insignia of (Alice. I a
the processi,,n, which was unusually small, were the Duko
of Hamilton, Lord Newry, the Provost of Oriel, the Master
of Bailie], the Dean of Christ Church, the Provost of Wor-
cester, Canon Ogilvy, Dr, Jacob, of Christ's Hospital, Dr.
Sheppard, of Kidderminster, &c. When the members of
the procession had reached their places the National Anthem
was sung with tolerable effect, and the Vice-Chancellor
opened the proceedings in the usual way; but he had
scarcely began to speak when a Babel of sound burst forth
which completely drowned his voice, and for about half an
hour everything had to be conducted in dumb show, The
cause of the noise seemed to be in part the unpopularity of
the procuratorial staff, in part a supposed want of gallantry
on the part of some gentlemen in the area who did not
immediately yield their places to some ladies, who had been
allowed, without tickets, and contrary to the regulations,
to enter that part of the theatre. In vain the Vice-Chan-
cellor gesticulated as one praying for silence; the noise
continued unintermittingly during his speech, during the
entrance of the new Doctors and during the presentation
for their degrees to the Archbishop of Armagh, the Earl of
Bandon, Lord Overstone, and M. Thierry, who appeared
astonished at the licence allowed. On the presentation of
Sir Rowland Hill the Undergraduates at last turned their
attention to the proceedings, greet:.ng the author of the
penny postage with loud cheers and a few facetious re-
marks. Mr. Arthur Helps, who followed, was in uniform,
and appeared not to be recognized, or ,the author of
"Friends in Council" would scarcely have in:issed the
applause he so well deserved. Mr. Cayley was more
fortunate. The Undergraduates heard and undersOod
that he was a " Senior Wrangler" and one of the most
eminent mathematicians in Europe, and greeted him
accordingly. On the presentation of Captain Jones for an
honorary M.A. there was loud and prolonged cheering, the
gallery expressing their opinion that he fully deserved the
honour bestowed upon him, while at the same time they
suggested that they would have preferred his being made a
D.C.L. With the Crewian Oration, which followed on the
degrees, and was delivered by the Professor of Poetry, Mr.
Arnold, the noise recommenced. An obnoxious Pro-
Proctor, seen behind the chair of the Vice-Chancellor, was
told to come out and show himself ; and on his declining to
respond to the invitation, the Vice-Chancellor was requested
to "whip behind"—a "hit" which caused a great deal of
laughter. The prize compositions were heard with a mode-
rate degree of attention. They were in no case well re-
cited, and none appeared to be of more than average merit,
except the Newdigate, which contained less claptrap and
more real poetry than usual. The proceedings terminated
towards half past 12 o'clock with a renewed storm of
groans and hisses, directed (apparently) against one of the
Proctors.
This afternoon a grand fete was given by the Apollo
Lodge of Freemasons in the gardens of St. John's College.
The "Orpheus" singers, and a mixed band of Coldstreams
and Jullien's attended. 21 numerous company enjoyed the
musical treat thus afforded them, and partook of the Free-
masons' hospitality. The weather was exquisite, and the
fete would have been as near perfection as anything sub-
lunary if the instrumental band could have been prevailed
upon to play their airs at the time when the Orpheus min-
strels were not singing.
A. ball takes place this evening at Queen's College. To-
night there will be a ball at Pembroke College.
morrow

CAMBRIDGE, June 8.
The following have passed the second examination for
the degree of KB. :—A. Godson, M.A., Trinity College,
H. W. Hoffman, MA., Trinity College, and E. T. Leighton,
M.A., Caius College.
Tho Registrary begs that the applicants and certificates
of terms for all persons who are intending to take B.A. or
LL.B. Degrees on June 18 may be sent to him on or before
Wednesday, Jane 15.

ORAY4O itiN.—Last evening tho grand day of
Trinity Term was celebrated by the mambers of the
society in theix• ancient hall. Among the guests were Lord
Chelmsford, the L. rd Chief Baron, the Right Hon. Joseph
Napier, the Attorney- General for England, the Right Hon.
the Attorney-General fot- Ireland, the Treasurers of the
Inner and Middle Temple, the Solicitor-General for Ire-
land, Mr George, Q C., M.P., Me' Longfield, Q.C., M.P.,
and the preacher, the Rev. Dr nosey. The following
Masters of the Bench were also present Treasurer
(Mr W. Wilde), the Master of the Rolls, Mr: Lush, Q.C.,
Mr Manisty, QC., Mr A. J. Stephens, Q.C., Mr Mud'
marsh, Q.C., Mr Southgate, Q,C., Mr Greenwood, Mr
Turner, Mr Tennant, and Mr Barstow. The subject of the
Lee prize essay (an exhibition recently founded by John
Lee, LL D., F.R.S., a member of Gray's Inn) was an-
nounced to be " On the principles of the law of contract in
the Roman law and the English law respectively, pointing
out the chief differences between them with the view of
elucidating the relations of society both in the Roman Em-
pire and in England,'

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION,

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 8.
INTOXICATING LIQUORS BILL.

O:der for second reading read. Motion made and question
proposed, "•That the bill bo now read a second time."
Amendment proposed, to leave fait the word " npw," and
at the end of the question to add the words " upon this
day three months." Question put, " That the word now'
stsnd part of the question." The house dividtd—Ayes,
35 ; Noes, 202.