The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-21 00:00:00

UNIVE.RBI7I" INTELLIGENCE.

THE COMMEMORATION—OXFORD, JUNE 20.
The morning of the Commemoration day broke
inauspiciously with heavy showers, and, though
there was occasionally through the day a promise
of better things, yet on the whole the weather must
be pronounced to have been nearly as execrable as
it could be. A heavy muggy air made every
covered place oppressively hot; and, unless
under shelter, there was no security from the
pelting pitiless rain-storms, which drenched to
the skin in a few minutes, and against which
umbrellas were a protection that availed but
little. After a hasty breakfast most strangers
bent their steps to the theatre, where the great
spectacle of the week was about to be repre-
sented. Ladies and undergraduates were admitted
at ten o'clock, while masters, bachelors, and
their friends did not obtain entrance till a quar-
ter past ten, or a little later. On entering, the
semicircle and the ladies' gallery appeared already
tolerably well filled. The coup d'ccil was striking,
but less so than usual, owing to the great pre-
ponderance of white dresses and bonnets, which
were but sparingly relieved by ribands, scarfs, and
gloves of mauve, Magenta, or other colours. The
undergraduates at first observed a somewhat por-
tentous silence, and it was feared by some that the
notice issued against improper disturbance was
about to receive the tacit disapproval of an absolute
silence. These fears, however, were not justified by
the event. The quiet mood did not continue very
long, and, when broken, was succeeded by the
usual amount of cheers, groans, and voci-
ferations. Obnoxious individuals who forgot to
remove their hats were assailed with the accustomed
obj urgations, and the political and other opipions
of the undergraduate body were expressed with
the freedom common on such occasions. Frequent
cheers were given for the Queen, the Prince of
Wales, Lord Derby, the Bishop of Oxford, Lord
Palmerston, the Proctors (late and present), the
"Dons," the ladies, &c. Three groans followed the
names of the Pope, the King of Naples, the Emperor,
Lord John Russell, and the Radicals. " The pre-
sent Ministry" raised a long and close struggle
between groans and cheers, as did " The Bishop
of London" and "the Times newspaper." Mr.
Gladstone's name, frequently given, was always
quarrelled over, and seemed distasteful to the gene-
rality. Cheers were given for Bryan King, the
Bishop of Exeter, the Bishop of St. Andrew's, the
Public Orator, Charles Kingsley, " Tom Brown's
School-days," &c. " Cambridge University" was
also heartily cheered, as were "Public Schools,"
while " Private Schools" fell fiat and were
cheered by scarcely half a dozen voices. " The
Penny Press" elicited groans mixed with laugh-
ter ; while a storm of disapprobation greeted
7lie Record, which appeared to have scarcely a
friend in the building. A few cries, supposed to
be facetious, were given—as " The ladies in pink,"
" The ladies in blue," " The ladies under 21," "The
young ladies," " The old ladies," " The ladies with
bouquets ;" and again one, which was peculiarly
effective, " Three cheers for everybody, except
John Bright !"
At nearly 11 o'clock the great doors were thrown
open, and the procession entered the theatre. The
Prince of Wales, by virtue of his rank, took
precedence, being followed by the Vice-Chan-
cellor, after whom came the Heads of Houses and
other doctors of the different faculties, the pro•
cession being closed by the Proctors. Among
the doctors were the Bishops of Lincoln and
Oxford, while a seat near the former was given to
an American bishop, Dr. Potter, the Bishop of New
York. The Vice-Chancellor opened the proceedings
in the usual way, and was only slightly
inter'
lrupted by occasional cries from a few of thi_lJoeorf-
graduates, which were met by'Turn him out!" Theecries from ethers
th body, of " Order !" and "
honorary degree of D.C.L. was
conferredeclish Ambassador) •
Excellency Count Platen (thheo upon his
wwas received with
upon Lord Brougham,
, and
_th. e American
upon Sir R
which he acknowledged by repeated
bows great.appulpauosoe,
Count
Strzeleeki,k
writer, Mr. Y. L. Lothrop Mottley. Sir F. Mgclin_
Bethe'll, Sir F. L. M'ClintPF
tock was evidently, in the eyes of the undergra-
duates. the hero of the day, and a perfect tempest o f
applause greeted him as he received his degree.
Great cheering also followed the conferring of an
honorary M.A. degree on the Rev. J. H. Harris,
chaplain at Lucknow during the late siege. Three
hearty cheers were at this point given for the
Prince of Wales, who graciously; acknowledged
them ; after 'which the Crewian Oration was
recited by Mr. Arnold, the Professor of Poetry.
The prizes were then rehearsed in the fol-
lowing order :—the English Essay, by Mr.
Holland of
Exeter ; the Latin Essay by
Mr. Broughton, of Balliol ; the Newdegate, by
Mr. Symonds, of Balliol ; and the Garsford (verse)
prize, by Mr. Chute, of Balliol. All were heard
with attention, and the Newdegate received no
small amount of applause. The proceedings ter-
minated a little before 1 o'clock, having passed off
without any disturbance or unpleasantness—a
change from recent years, which it is to be hoped
will be permanent.
The distinguished visitors were entertained in
different college halls soon afterwards, and were
then enabled to attend the Masonic Musical Fete
in St. John's-gardens, where an excellent band (th
of the Second Oxfordshire Rifle Corps) 72,0"
per-
'"
The rain,
attendance, and the Orpheus Glee Union
formed a number of celebrated prti
it began, with
entertainment, the day closing,
ion of the week's
es O
however, entirely ruined this p o
as
long and heavy shower,

- -
THE LATE VOTE OF THE HOUSE OF
LORDS.


was the head of a gentleman's child." I said, " Did
he do anything else ?" She said, " He put his hand
upon my knee." I said, " Don't deny it ; lam an
old married man, the father of a family, and I
think I know all your husband's family ; tell me
the truth." She said, " I told you it was ridicu-
lous ; he said it was the head of a gentleman's
child. This was on the 29th of April. The mother-
in-law came in and said, " La ! Mr. Kent, what a
funny set-out this is."
On cross-examination the witness said he went
because the vicar had spoken to him. He was
churchwarden. His son was solicitor to the vicar.
The witness said that on the 29th of April, when
to the plaintiff's house, he might have known that
the plaintiff had written to the defendant.
On re-examination he said he gave evidence on
the inquiry, and admitted that he had taken up the
matter for the vicar, having been consulted by him.
Evidence was tendered of the good character of
the defendant, but rejected as irrelevant. Evi-
dence was also tendered by the plaintiff in support
of the various charges suggested against the de-
fendant, but it was rejected on the same ground.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine having summed up the
evidence,
Mr. Huddleston replied, and commented upon all
the facts of the case, to show that, upon the evi-
dence the jury ought to find for the plaintiff.
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn having summed
up at considerable length,
The jury retired to consider their verdict, and
after an absence of about two hours, they returned
into court, and said there was not the slightest
chance of their agreeing to a verdict.
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn said, if that was
the case he might as well discharge them at once as
several hours later.
Mr. Huddleston assented to that course, and no
opposition being made on the other side the jury
were discharged.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—June 20.

WESTMINSTER.--John Gould, a toll-collector
at Vauxhall-bridge, was summoned by Mr. W.
Mayne, a retired officer from the army, on half-
pay, and adjutant of the Queen's Westminster Rifle
Volunteers, for unlawfully demanding and taking
of him the toll of ahalfpennv, he being exempt from
the payment of the said toll, and having claimed
such exemption.
Mr. Mayne stated that on the 19th instant he
went to Raynham with his corps for target prac-
tice, and, returning in the evening to Fenchurch-
street, crossed London-bridge and dined with a
friend. At about midnight he went over Vaux-
hall-bridge on his way home to Upper Belgrave-
place, when defendant, who was at the gate, de-
manded toll. Complainant claimed exemption as a
rifle corps volunteer, when defendant replied he
knew nothing about volunteers and must have his
toll. Complainant's experience of the army sug-
gested to him to inquire of the toll-eollector
whether soldiers would have to pay, when de-
fendant (who is a pensioner from the army) replied,
" You don't call yourself a soldier !" Complainant
told him that he should certainly try the question
of exemption, and paid the toll under protest.
Complainant begged to assure the magistrate that
he had no feeling in bringing this matter forward
but that the question should be decided, as it was
one of public importance.
Mr. Jeffrey, secretary to the Vauxhall-bridge
Company, objected that complainant was not in
uniform nor wearing his arms at the time; and
Defendant said he was wearing a blouse.
4,, Mr. Mayne replied that he was in undress uni-
form ; he woreat the time the regulation trousers
and blouse, and his belt and pouch. It was contrary
to the Rifle Corps' regulations for the officers to
wear arms in undress uniform ; they were left in
he armoury.
Mr. Jeffrey urged that defendant could not be

said to be returning from duty on the day of exer-
cise, because he did not pass through the tollgate
until after 12 at night.
Mr. Dayman turned to the 49th of. George 111.,
cap. 142, section 147, which, after enumerating
other exemptions from toll, said " or any volunteers
upon their march or on duty, or on going to or re-
turning from the place appointed for and on the
days of exercise." The worthy magistrate ex-
pressed his opinion very clearly upon this section ;
he thought that the fair construction to be put
upon it was that if it was a bona fide return from
exercise, as in the present case, the precise hour of
return was unimportant ; he thought it would be a
very narrow view of the intention of the Act of
Parliament to limit the exemption as now sought.
Mr. Jeffrey thought it was returning from dinner
rather than exercise, and pointed out that some
hours had elapsed from the termination of the
exercise until the exemption was claimed.
Mr. Dayman considered that after four or five
hours' practice a man stood in need of a dinner, and
did not think that to be exempt from toll he was
bound to get it at some particular place; he was
not the less returning from exercise because he
had had a dinner on the way. The circumstances
of the case were in no respect altered by that fact ;
the Act of Parliament intended to exempt him
from toll while out on duty and on going to and
returning from the place of exercise, and com-
plainant was clearly returning to his own home
from the exercise.
Mr. Jeffrey wished to know how the toll-collec-
tors were to be aware when a rifle volunteer was
returning from exercise ; they were not exempt
except as specified by Act of Parliament, and how
was a toll-collector to know when they were
entitled to the exemption ? Any one might claim
it when not entitled.
Mr. Dayman said that might be a very difficult
thing, but, if any one falsely represented the state
of things which entitled him to exemption, they
might find him out and prosecute him.
After some further remarks, in the course of
which Mr. Mayne expressed his opinion that many of
the Volunteer Rifle Corps were better soldiers than
the regular army, and thought the toll-collector
had not behaved very becomingly in making the
remark he had to a soldier, who had probably seen
more service than himself.
Mr. Dayman spoke in very complimentary terms
of the Volunteer Rifle Corps and their efficiency,
and Mr. Mayne, having stated that he had no de-
sire to press the matter further than on public
grounds to obtain a decision, the worthy magistrate
said that complainant was clearly entitled to the
exemption, and defendant must pay the nominal
penalty of 6d. and costs, and refund the halfpenny
toll taken.