The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-12 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, AuG. 10.
Mr. W. R. Portal, from Abingdon School, and Mr.
G. Sbeffiield, of University College, have been elected
scholars of Pembroke College.

Among the successful candidates for the India Civil
Service appointments are the following members of this
University :—Mr. Ileurtley Newnham, of Balliol Col-
lege (No. 10) ; Mr. Wyllie, of Trinity College (No. 11);
Mr. Falcon, of Queen's College (No. 16) ; and Mr.
Richey, of Exeter College (No. 19). There were, we
believe, only seven Oxford candidates.

SHEFFIELD AND ITS MANUFACTURES.—A. very inter
eating ceremony took place at Sheffield on Friday lass
The gold medal of honour awarded at the Paris Exhibi-
tion to the town, for the excellence of its manufac-
tures, was presented by the Mayor to the Master Cutler
and the Company, in pursuance of the wishes of the ex-
hibitors. The ceremony took place at the Cutlers' Hail,
when the mayor addressing the Master Cutler observed
that the two great Industrial Exhibitions at London and
Paris had raised Sheffield to a higher position among
manufacturing towns than it had ever attained before,
a greater number of medals being awarded at the latter
to individual exhibitors of Sheffield than to those of
any other town, while the approbation of the jurors
was still more marked by the presentation of the gold
medal of honour to the place itself. The very dis-
tinguished position it has thus attained would not soon
be forgotten by the manufacturing world. The Master
Cutler in reply said that the Corporation of Cutlers fully
appreciated the honour done them by depositing this
marked distinction of the Emperor of the French on the
trade of the town in their hands. That medal would
always be regarded asiindicating the very high rank in
which the manufactures of the locality were placed.
They had obtained the honour by the superior excellence
of their productions, and he was quite sure that the men
of Sheffield would not allow, in years to come, that ex-
cellence to be diminished. He asserted with coefidence
that at the present time Sheffield stood unequalled in the
whole world for the very great superiority of its manu-
factures. Important branches of their industry were said
to have been entirely unrepresented at the Paris Exhibi-
tion, while others were so meagrely illustrated as to con-
duce to erroneous impressions. It was imperative to keep
this fact in view, since if, by the neglect or supineness on
the part of those engaged in manufactures in Sheffield to
exhibit at a time so important to the manufacturing and
commercial interests of this country, any erroneous im-
pression should be created of the decline of its manufac-
tures, it was important that such misapprehensions
should be corrected. Many' causes might tend to pre-
vent exhibition. Some manufacturers might not wish
all their newest designs displayed, while others might
have as much business on hand as they could attend to,
which had recently been the case in Sheffield. There had
no doubt been great improvements within the past few
years in the manufactures of France and other countries,
but they had been unable to cope with Sheffield, and if
he knew his fellow•townsmen aright, they would con-
tinue to improve as heretofore, and with the inherent in-
dustry proverbial to English manufacturers, maintain the
rank and position they had achieved. Mr. Dunn, one
-of the local commissioners, said he had been engaged in
the cutlery trade very many years, and as far as he could
judge, the tendency of that manufacture was upwards,
both in the appearance of the article manufactured and
its quality. He Was Satisfied that the material of the
articles manufactured in Sheffield now was as good as
that employed 30 years ago, while the workmanship was
better; and Mr. Wilson Overend; the other commissioner,
stated that of 53 firma who had exhibited no less than 45
obtained medals or honourable mention. The gold medal
which was exhibited to the meeting is very handsome and
massive. It hag been mounted in the centre of a plate of
silver, and enclosed in an ebony frame. It is profusely
ornamented, and bears an inscription stating that it was
awarded to the town of Sheffield for the excellence of its
manufactures di-played at the Exhibition of All Nations,
at Paris, and that it was received from the heeds of the
Emperor of the French, by Mr. Fawcett, the Mayor, and
presented by the exhibitors to the Cutlers' Company.