The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-18 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY

REFORM.

tlyi alltiJ WO.,
The- following is the answer proposed by the
Syndidate,to Lord Palmerston's letter
"The Syndicate appointed December 23, 1853, to take
into consideration such parts of the letter addressed,
December 12, 1853, to the Chancellor of the University,
by her Majesty's Secretary of State. for the Home De-
partment as relate to tiro University, and to make such
remarks thereon as they may deem fit,' for the purpose
of their being transmitted by the Vice-Chancellor to his
Royal- Highness, such remarks, however, being pre-
viously submitted to the Senate- fer confirmation, beg
leave to rportio the Senate :
"That in 'conformity with the terms of their appoint-
ment they have taken into consideration those points in
the letter of her Majesty's Secretary of State for the
Horne Department, which concern the University, omit-
ting those which specially concern the Colleges ; and
that after careful deliberation they recommend that the
following remarks be transmitted in the name of the
Senate to the Chancellor :
"L THE CONSTITUTION Or THE UNIVERSITY.
"The report of the Commissioners appointed by the
Queen to inquire into the state, discipline,' studies, and
revenues of the University makes frequent mention of
the Syndicate appointed to revise the Stat s
ute of the
University. That Syndicate was appointed March 7,
1849, more than 12 months before the announcement
of the Royal Commission ; special preparation for the
work with which it was entrusted having been made
during a long time previous to its appointment by the
careful collection and arrangement of the existing laws
and customs of the University. The Syndicate pro-
ceeded in a course of long and frequent sittings, not
of statutes sttult2etshgyiveeanr
of
her
only to revise the present bodyy
University by Queen Elizabeth
reign, but also to. review the_eentizns:rteiesßyal oo Letters,
f antecedent,
of t
and 'subsequent Graces h
and decrees of the Heads of Colleges, With the object of
preparing a new code of academical laws. -
/ f Ardeing the points which engaged the attention of
the Syndicate one of the most important was that which
her majesty's' Secretary of State far the Rome Depart-
ment mentions as the first .af,those with respect to
which, Rep Majesty's Government conceive that plans
of -improvement should be entertained—viz., An alters-
tion, of the oonstitutionAd the Universities, with a view ,
to the more general and; efrective representation of the
aeveral maip elements wfiicti. properly enter into their
comPoeitlOn.'4
"The constitution which is now in force, by the
statutes of 12th Elizabeth requireS that every Grace or
Proposition for the administration, of University affairs
should be approved by each of the two Houses of which
the •Senate is composed ; but that previously to its
being proposed to the Haulm it should be submitted to
a Council, or Caput Senatacconsisting of the Chancel-
lor or Vice-Chancellor, one Doctor in, each of the three
faculties of Divinity, La*, ankPhysic, one Master of
Arts of tie Non-Regent House-4. e,, of more than five
years' standing, and one Master of Arts of the Regent
e., of less than five years' standing ; each
member of the Caput having the power of rejecting the
Grace by his sole negative voice.
"The Syndicate-made a report to the Senate respect-
ing the constitution and powers of the Caput on May
28, 1822, recommending that the Caput, constituted as
at present, but appointed by more free mode of elec-
tion, should retain- its powers so far only as respects
Graces for conferring degrees, and that for the considera
tion of all Graces relating to other academical business
a council should be formed and regulated in the follow-
ing manner :
" The Heads of Colleges shall appoint three
members
" ' The Doctors in the faculties of Divinity, Law, and
Physic, not being Heads of Colleges, shall appoint three
members ; that is to say, the Doctors in Divinity one,
the Dectors in 'Law another, and the Doctors in Physic
a third.
" 'The Professors, not being either Heads of Colleges
or Doctors in any one of the said three faculties, shall
appoint three;nriembers.
"'And lastly, the gelleges shall appoint three Non-
P.ogents and three Regents.
" One member of each of the five classes above-
mentioned Shall' go out in rotation every year on
NoVernber 6, being however re-eligible, and on the
same day the appointments by the` Heads of Colleges,
Doctors, and Professors shall be made in the Senate
Rouse, the Chancellor' and the head of a college
senior' in degree, the two Doctors in each Faculty
senior in degree, and the two Professors senior in
degree standing in scrutiny. That they have most
votes in the first security shall be deemed to be ap-
pointed, and so, likewise if it be necessary to resort
to a second or third land scrutiny. At the same time
the names of the Non-Regent and .Regent appointed
by the Colleges, the appointment of them resting
with those colleges whose turn it may be to appoint
the Scrutators, shall be certified to the Chancellor
by the Masters of those colleges or their deputies.
The names of all the persons appointed shall be
immediately published to the Senate by the Senior
Proctor.
" The day after (Sunday not being reckoned in
either ease) all the five persons, so appointed shall be
separately proposed to the Senate for election by Grace
for three years ; and fifteen persons so elected shall,
with the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the pre-
ceding year, constitute the said Council.
" 'ln case of a vacancy by death, or by any other
cause which shall be deemed sufficient by the Chan-
cellor and two senior Doctors present in the -University,
the class or college which appointed before may appoint
again within a time to be prescribed by the Chancel-
lor ; every person so appointed may hold the place
of a member on the council for the same period as
that during which the person, whose substitute he is,
would have held it. But if the cause of vacancy
be not deemed sufficient, or if any appointment,
whether of an original member or of a substitute, be
not duly made or certified, or if the person appointed be
not elected by the Senate, then the election shall be
made in the manner* prescribed in chapter v., section
9, of the draught of the revised statues.
" On every occasion, when any member of the coun-
cil intends to absent himself from the University for a
limited period of time, not exceeding one term, he shall
be at liberty to appoint a deputy during such absence,
who shall be offered to the Senate for election by Grace.
" If any ,member shall have been absent from all the
meetings of the council during two successive terms his
place shall be ipso facto void.
" ' The place of a member of the council shall not be
rendered void either by his resuming his Regency, if a
Non-Regent, or by his promotion to Non-Regency, if a
Regent.
- •‘" The duty of the Council shall be to consider and
prepare all Graces to be offered to the Senate, except
ing those for conferring degrees, whether proceeding
from individual members of the Senate or from Syndi-
cates ; nor shall any Grace, except for conferring a
degree, be offered to the Senate without the previous
sanction of the major„ part of those voting upon it in the

council.
" 'No business shall be transacted in the council
unless five members, at the least, be present, of whom
the Chancellor shall always be one ; and he shall have
the casting vote when the votes are equally divided. In
case of a diTerence of opini,n between the Chancellor
and a majority of the council shall be valid without the
approval of a majority of the whole number as to the
Chancellor may seem fit.'
" Meetings of the council shall be held at least in
every alternate week during term time, ancl,also at such
other times as to the Chancellor may seem fit.'
" The scheme thus recommended by the Syndicate
was intended to accomplish the object mentioned in the
letter of her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home
Department—viz., to secure the more general and effec-
tive representation of the several main elements which
properly enter the composition of the University, and it
has received the approbation of the University Commis-
sioners in the following terms. (Report, p. 15.)
f" We cannot hesitate to express our pleasure to find
such a proposiii emanating from the University itself.
It has evidently been framed with careful deliberation,
and with an especial view as well to preserve a balance
of power among the several colleges as also to prevent
the excitements and rivalries of a more popular and un:
limited mode of appointment. The suggested scheme
has received the unanimous approval of the Syndicate ;
and we hope it may in due time receive the sanction of
the Senate.'

"A Grace was passed by the Senate Feb. 15, 1853,
for the introduction of the above scheme into the pro-
posed- new body of statutes ; and the sanction of the
Crown only is naw required to give the form of law to
the amended constitution.
" 11. UNIVERSITY EXTENSION.
" The question of reducing the expenses of residence
in the University within the narrowest limits, and
• hereby extending the benefits of academical education
to as large a number of students as possible, has long
engaged the anxious attention of the authorities of the
University and colleges ; and it is gratifying to find that
the University Commissioners declare the result of their
ofWe have great satisfaction in expressing
inquiries upon this subject in the following terms (Re-
port, p: 18)
our opinion that-the expenses of the great majoritye
the students are moderate. The fact reflects credit both
on themselves and on the authorities of the University
and the several colleges. By reference to the evidence,
it will be seen that the necessary expense of residence is
small, and that the actual expense .does not exceed a
reasonable limit.'
" The Syndicate believe that it is the
.desire of the
authorities of the University and of the several colleges
to take adv&itage of every opportunity to reduce, as far
as is practicable, the expenses of students.
" The Syndicate have taken into consideration seve-
ral schemes' which have been proposed for altering the
conditions of academical residence, with the view of di-
minishing the expenses of students ; but they are of opi-
nion that, while such schemes are in many respects more
or less objectionable, they do not 'present equal advan-
tages in point of economy with the present system of re-
sidence in connexion with colleges
.; and they wish to
draw especial attention to the fact, that deserving stu-
dents, more particularly those of limited pecuniary
means, derive greailidvantage3 and assistance from the
colleges to which they belong, by the enjoyment of
scholarships, sizarships;, exhibitions, and other contribu-
tion from collegiate endowments.
"The Syndicate have considered in particular the
scheme which has been propoied of allowing students to
reside and graduate in the University without being
connected with any college, and they are of opinion that
that scheme cannot be adbptsd without seriously weaken-
, • ing the proper securities for discipline, and depriving
the stedents who might be so admitted of much that is
of great 'value in the' pi-esent be so admitted of much
that is of
great value in• the present system of acedemical
•

* The eT.ie of election referred to is that the Senate
41act- one, c.tf,two -persons nominated by the Vice.
Chancellor and Heads of Colleges.