The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-30 00:00:00

THE COPYHOLD COMMISSIONERS.

Mr. AGLIONBY asked to what place it vvas intended
to remove the office of the Copyhold Commissioners ?
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said that at the beginning of
this month be bad received a direction from the Treasury,
to provide offices for the War Minister, as near to Down-
ing•street as possible. There were but two places eligible
—Gwy,lyr House, at present tenanted by the poor law
authorities, and Pembroke House, occupied by the Copy-
hold Commissioners. It was judged inexpedient to inter
fere with the present occupation of Gwydyr House, and
hence the residence held by the Copyhold Commissioners
had been-selected as the place for the War Minister. The
house to which the Copyhold Commissioners were to
remove was No. 3, St. James's-square, which would require
a sum of about 3,0001. to put it in order.
COLONIAL CLERGY DISABILITIES BILL.

Sir J. PAKINGTON asked whether it was the inten-
tion of the Government to proceed with this measure this
session ?

Lord J. RUSSELL said it was not the intention of the
Government to proceed with the bill. (Laughter.)

OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL.

Upon the order of the day for the further consideration
of this bill being read,

Mr. HEYWCIOD proposed to add the following clause :
" From and after the first day of Michaelmas Term, 1854,
it shall not be necessary for any person, upon taking the
degree of bachelor in arts, law, medicine, or music, in the
University of Oxford, to make or subscribe any declara-
tion, or take any oath, save the oath of allegiance, or an
equivalent declaration of allegiance, any law or statute to
the contrary notwithstanding." After the statement which
he had made upon bringing this clause in on a former oc-
casion but little remained for him to say. He thought,
,however, that this was ,a most opportune bill for such a
clause, as the power of the commissioners would last for
four years and the degree of bachelor might be attained in
three. Thus before the power of the commissioners ceased
the working of the clause would be seen in practice. With-
out reiterating the arguments which had been brought for-
ward on Monday, he begged to recommend this clause to
the house as one which, while it was due as a measure of
justice to the Dissenters, would do great good to the uni-
versity itself. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. NE WDEGATE supported the amendment.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the Government intended to support the clause, consider-
ing that after the decision to which the house had come,
they were doing the best for the university, but he said
that nothing would induce him to vote for it if he believed
that it would put a stop-to religions education. He was
convinced, however, that the university would address
itself in an earnest spirit to adapt itself to the require-
ments of leoaislation.
Sergeant SHEE. amid the impatience of the house, com-
plained that the oath of allegiance should be imposed.
The house then divided, when there appeared—
For the clause 233
Against it 79-154
The clause was accordingly read a second time.
On the question that it be read a third time,
Mr. WIGRANI moved a provision to the effect that no
person taking the degree of bachelor in arts should be ca-
pable of holding any_ office of emolument, or take any share
in the government of the university, without having taken
the oaths at present required.
Mr. HEYWOOD opposed the motion.
Lord J. RUSSELL also opposed it, as an addition to
the Act of Uniformity.
Mr. WALPOLE recommended its not being pressed.
He added an announcement that any future attempt to give
any portion of the government of the university to Dis-
senters would meet with the strongest opposition.
The motion was withdrawn, and the clause agreed to.

Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE.moved the addition of the
following clause :—" That from and after the Ist day of
December next, no member of the university shall be
allowed, on account of his rank, to pass his examination or
take his degree sooner than another undergraduate."
Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to the clause.
Mr. GOULBURN could not assent to the clause.

Mr. HEYWOOD thought the time required to elapse
in taking up degrees could be advantageously shortened in
the case of commoners well us noblemen.
Mr. WARNER also concurred in that opinion, as under
the existing system much useful time was lost towards the
end of matriculation in absolutely doing nothing.
The clause was agreed to, and ordered to be added to
the bill.

Mr. E. DENISON moved to insert at the end of clause
18 the words, " Heads of colleges and halls being profes-
sors shall vote only for heads of colleges or halls."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER remarked
that the house had already decided in favour of sectional
elections, and since this addition would improve the
clause in that respect there could be no objection to it.
The addition was then agreed to, and ordered to be
added to the clause.
Sir W. IIEATHCOTE moved an amendment to clause
29, the interpretation clause, "that the word 'residents'
shall be taken to mean persons whose residence within the
university for twenty-four weeks during the twelve months
next before the first day of the current or next preceding
Michaelmas term, shall have been verified by the declara-
tion in writing of all persons claiming to vote or act as such
residents, or in such other manner as the university shall
from time to time by statute appoint."
Mr. WALPOLE considered it better to leave the matter
to the university ; there would be great difficulty in proving
the 24 weeks' residence.

Mr. E. DENISON also opposed the amendment ; and,
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY and the CHANCEL-
LOR of the EXCHEQUER,

Sir VT. HEATHCOT~ withdrew

Mr. R. PALMER moved to add the following words to
the same clause :—" And the words ' existing' and en-
joyed,' when used with reference to interests specially
saved or protected by this act, shall not extend to or in-
chule any right or claim which at the time of passing this
act may be in practical disuse."
Mr. KEATING considered the amendment would only
give rise to doubts.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved to
add to the end of the clause introduced on the motion of
Mr. R. Palmer some days ago, and which provides for the
rights of schools in connexion with the colleges, the follow-
ing proviso :--" And if in any college where fellowships or
studentships are tenable by undergraduates, either the col-
lege, or the commissioners acting in respect thereof, shall
divide its fellowships or studentships into elder and
younger, the elder only shall be taken to the fellowships
or studentships within the meaning of this section." With
regard to scholarships and exhibitions, these words would
leave the clause as it stood, and would touch only the fel-
lowships. The fellowships stood upon a different footing
to the studentships When the colleges were originally
founded, they were not intended to be the great teach-
ing offices of the universities, from which the universities
were to draw their scholars, but offices of residence and
study in the colleges. Now, however, the countryexpected
from the colleges the university education ; and though
they had private halls, it was to the fellows of the colleges
they had to look for the conduct of that education. The
question was, whether the bill, as it originally stood, did
not sufficiently provide for the protection of the interest of
the schools. Power was given to the colleges to propose
reforms, and if they did not, then the commissioners had
the power, and an appeal was given to the Privy
Council. That would have been a sufficient protection
to a school like Winchester, which was supposed to
have a right of successibn to New College ; but, under
the clause introduced by the hon. and learn d gentle-
man, the decision as to whether there should be any re-
form or not was left not to the governing body of New
College, but also to the governing body of Winchester,
who would have to decide whether New College should
still be a close college for the boys of Winchester or
not ? But was this governing body of Winchester
school, a body so practically acquainted with New
College or with the wants of Winchester school, to be
entrusted with this duty? It was composed of ten clergy-
men, one of whom only took any active part in the affairs
of the school, two others permanently resided in Winches-
ter, and the other seven were never heard of there, and
these were the persons-who, under the hon. and learned
gentleman's clause, might nullify the purposes of this bill
and nullify the judgment of the commissioners.
Mr. ROUNDEL', PALMER said the amendment pro-
posed by the right hon. gentleman was altogether opposed
to the clause the house hal affirmed, that principle being
that the schools wore as much entitled to the emoluments
and endowments belonging to them as the colleges were to
their emoluments and preferments. Ile concluded by ex-
pressing a hope that all who were interested in these schools
would not forget the principle for which he was contending,
and which, but for this clause, would have had-no special
protection, and that they would come forward and not al-
low those schools to be deprived of the benefit of that
clause by the amendment of his right hon. friend.
Mr. LOWE hoped that the house would consider what
the exact question was, namely, whether these schools
should send boys to the university in a manner which
would do them irreparable- injury by destroying their in-
dustry, while such a system would have a tendency to in-
jure the university by placing the concluct of its education
in the hands of inferior men.; and Oxford would never be
intellectually supereminent—except by adopting the prin-
ciple of free and open competition. (Hear, hear.)
Sir W. HEATEICOTE said that Mr. Lowe had con-
tended that the governing bodies of these schools did not
possess enlarged and enlightened views, but he hoped that
the hon. gentleman did not wish that they should acquire
those views at the expense of other persons, and by
means of the invasion of positive rights. The authorities
at Winchester had at this moment in contemplation a plan
for enlarging the competition for the advantages of New
College, while the authorities of New College might, under
the provisions of this bill, exercise the strongest influence
on young men, so as to give them every stimulus to in-
dustry.
Mr. G. VERNON had entertained.a strong feeling as to
the rights of these schools, which he thought were quite
as important, though smaller in kind, as the rights of the
university itself. He had accordingly voted for the clause
of the hon, and learned gentleman opposite, but the lute-

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