The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

don University neither deserved nor had obtained
success, but that it was a failure. The objection
brought forwar I by this gentleman was to that par-
ticular point which was mooted nine years ago, viz.,
throwing the university open to others than those
who were educated in the affiliated colleges. The
majority of the Senate thought there were good
reasons for throwing open the doors of the univer-
sity wider, and that it was hard and cruel to close
them against those who, perhaps, had not the means
of entering the affiliated colleges, and who might
therefore have received their instruction at some
other educational institution, at a private school or
at home. But what had been the result of the
change ? Ile believed, like that of many other mea-
sures of free trade, it had been eminently success-
ful. Then it was said they had a large number of
students who passed the matriculation examination
but were not able to pass for high honours. Ile
believed that if the very strict examination
they required for the matriculation examination
were exacted in all similar institutions very
great
benefit would follow, and he was quite certain
that the course they adopted had operated as an
enormous stimulus to the schools which prin-
cipally supplied the candidates who come up to
the examinations. The number of candidates bad
steadily increased ever since the University was
established, and had risen from 22 in the first year
to 1,250 in the last. Again, it was a mistake to
suppose that those who came up and failed were in-
jured by the examination. According to the plan
of reform advocated by the gentleman be had re-
ferred to, they would have not only again to shut
their doors against all who were not admitted un-
der the old charter, but they would have to exclude
all the affiliated colleges except King's College and
University College, which two colleges would then
constitute the London University ; such a proposal,
he was confident, was not likely to meet with the
approval of those he was addressing. Before con-
cluding he wished to express the gratitude of the
university to the present Government on two points.
The first was as to the new building. That was, he
hoped, the last time they would meet in that room ;
for whatever might become of the lodger franchise
of the Reform Bill, it was not, he thought, becom-
ing that the London University should be merely
in the position of claiming only that peculiar fran-
chise. (Laughter.) It was due to Lord John Man-
ners to say that he was the first who, some years
ago, brought forward the proposition to give the
University of London a house, and the first thing
he (Earl Granville) did after the change of Govern-
ment last July was to write to him calling bis at-
tention to the scheme for giving them proper accom-
modation, and exhorting him not to neglect the
subject. his lordship, in reply, promised to do all
in his power to expedite the object, and he carried
out that promise in everything, and as to the inter-
nal arrangements and accommodation of the nevi,
building had paid every attention to the wishes of
the university. With regard to the other point'
whatever faults may be found with the Government
scheme of Parliamentary Reform in other respects,
he doubted whether any objection would be offered
to the clause which proposed to give representation
to the London University, unless it were an ob-
jection emanating from a wish to advance their
claim from one member to two. But, whether one
or two, he was justified, he knew, in saying that
the representatives elected would be such as would
do honour to the choice of those by whom they were
elected. (Cheers.)