The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-29 00:00:00

and variety of the instruction thus afforded by this University
could not be exceeded either here or elsewhere, yet true it was
that with respect to the number of the students who flocked
here to drink at the source of the streams of ancient and mo-
dern learning, and not only of letters, but of philosophy na-
tural and moral, they did not equal, they fell considerably short
of—though certainly they did equal them in merit and respec-
tability, and good conduct—those who attended with profes-
sional views, and especially those who attended the faculty of
Medicine. But he might venture to say, that so numerous a
body of medical students was not to be found gathered toge-
ther under the academic roof of any city or place as here.—
( Cheers.) And of the merits and capacities of the professors
of that faculty, who were labouring to answer this great and
growing demand for instruction, he should speak more at large
if it did not happen that he was addressing himself to this
meeting in their presence, and if he did not feel confident that
their high characters were too well known to require, tin his
part, that he should bear testimony to their great merits and
services.—( Cheers.) But it had so happened—though in that
respect, as well as generally speaking, the expectations of the
founders and supporters of the University , had been far sur-
passed--,that the numbers who had attended the faculty of Arts
had not been equal to their expectations. It would naturally
be asked, how was it that the attendance had net been greater?
He had often set himself to account for this, and it was with
great difficulty that he came to any thing like an explaeation.
He had been for a long period a freeman of the City of Lon-
don, and he well remembered the time when a very general
complaint among the citizens was the want of such a Univer-
sity. " For God's sake (they used to say) let us have a Lon-
don University." But when the buildings were erected, when
professors had been appointed, a library selected, and every
thing ready, and when they expected the doors would be
darkened by the number of students, why, strange to tell, the
Londoners did not send their sons to this University, but pre-
ferred sending one out of five or six to Oxford or Cambridge,
and leaving the others uneducated ? He could account for
this only from the natural tendency that many good, worthy
people had to go in the old beaten track, though there might be
a precipice on the one hand, and a garden of Eden on the other.
He hoped, however, a little further consideration would induce
a change, and he had no doubt that the day would come when
the doors would be darkened. Fault had been found with
their having no course of religious instruction and observances.
This did riot proceed from their undervaluing religion and re-
ligious observances, but because they held them to be matters
of supreme importance, and upon which man should admit of
no compromise. But they had only to look for one moment
at the very essential difference between the circumstances of
the students at Oxford and Cambridge, and those attending at
the London University, to see a reason, and a very good one,
for their having excluded all religious observances. At Oxford
and Cambridge the students lived together, and belonged to
the same religious body, and the only little religious educa-
tion many of them ever got was as the -University ; but
here the students lived all under their parents' roofs, belonged
to different religious bodies, and were brought up in the form
of faith to which their parents subscribed. The Noble Lord
then proceeded to show how well the same system had worked
in Scotland, and statedthat he was this morning informed that
even in King's College, with a view to facilitate the admis-
sion of Dissenters, there were now no forms insisted upon to
which they could object —( Cheers. ) After congratulating
those connected with the University upon the near prospect
there was of obtaining a charter, his Lordship concluded his
speech by announcing a donation of 1,000 guineas, made by
some unknown munificent individual, who on a former occa-
sion sent a similar sum, with the view of its being devoted
to the objects contemplated by the founders of the institu-
tion, The Noble Lord retired amidst immense cheering,
and the meeting broke up.

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.

PRIVY COUNCIL DECISIONS.

A Return of the Number of Capital Cases reported to the King in
Council, distinguishing those in which sentence was mitigated
previous to and after the Order for Execution, and those Exe-
cuted, from May 1 to Dec. 31, in the years 1826, 1327, 1823,
1831, and 1833.