The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-19 00:00:00

BAIRD T. PORTIINB.

At the conclusion of the arguments of counsel in this
Scotch appeal this afternoon, the Lord Chancellor reserved
judgment.
BRITISH LINEN COMPANY V. CALEDONIAN INSURANCE

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN.

DISGRACEFUL RIOT AT THE INSTALLATION OF THE

LORD RECTOR.

Mr, Maitland, the Solicitor-General, was installed Lord
Rector of the University of Aberdeen on Saturday after-
noon, amid a scene of excitement and uproar probably never
surpassed within the walls of a Scotch college.
It may be remembered that at the election of a Rector
for this University some months age, two gentlemen were
put forward—Sir Andrew Leith Hay and Mr. Maitland.
At the voting the "nations" were equal—two for each can-
didate—the total number of students being, however, by a
considerable majority in favour of Sir Andrew, whose
known feeling against the " fusion" of the two colleges,
which had just taken place, and the fact of his residing in
the district, made him popular with the students. But the
Principal of the University (Rev. P. Colin Campbell) gave
his casting vote in favour of the Solicitor-General; and as
the students considered this act an improper and illegal
usurpation of power, the excitement amongst them was in-
creased by this proceeding, and has continued to grow in
strength up to the present time. It is, however, hut right to
say that there is not the slightest ill-feeling on the part of
the students towards Mr. Maitland personally; the oppo-
sition to his election rests solely on the circumstance that
the majority of the youths look upon him as being in a
great measure the nominee of the Principal and Professors.
Hence their objection to his filling the rectoral chair—an
objection which it was widely rumoured would result in a
riot at the installation on liatarday, and it did so.
The proceedings were fixed to commence at two o'clock,
and half an hour before this time the students began to
assemble in the fine hall of what was Marischal College.
By way of precaution a number of police were stationed in
the square of the College, and all sticks had to be given
up before admission could be obtained. Shortly before
two o'clock the hall was crowded by some 600 of the stu-
dents—a limited\ number of gentlemen of the city being
also present. Without loss of time the opposing students
gave indications of their future conduct during the pro-
ceedings. A very Babel of noise rose in volume after
volume as the minutes sped on. Forms were broken, and
their woodwork hurled withoUt ceremony amongst the
supporters of Mr. Maitland; peas being vig,,rously and
plentifully scattered about.. Yells, whistlings, in all
octaves and modes unmusical, were kept up continuously ;
while the " burr " of an instrument similar in sound to a
watchman's " rattle " of byegone nights was heard ever
and anon, when there seemed a likelihood of vocal organs
getting tired or giving away. Two o'clock came at last,
and with it the town serjeants preceding the Magistrates
and members of Council, the Principal and Professors of
the University, with Mr. Maitland. The appearance of
these gentlemen, as they took their places on the
platform, was, as might have been anticipated,
the signal for an increase of the storm. Pieces
of wood—the wreck of some ten or twelve forms
—peas, barley, and other missiles, were flung without
respect of person, at all and sundry of the officials
—the Principal and the Solicitor-General coming in for a
liberal portion of the assailing shower. All the students—
opposing and non-opposing—stood up on the forms; seve-
ral of them holding defiantly aloft the party colours which
they had worn as supporters of Sir Andrew Leith Hay.
Having reached the centre of the platform, where the
temporary desk was erected, Principal Campbell made in-
dications that he was to open the proceedings with prayer.
No sooner, however, had he held up his hands—he was
evidently afraid to shut his eyes—than the shouting waxed
louder and louder, and peas rattled on his face and body.
Pausing, the rev. gentleman looked around him as if horri-
fied at the wild uproar, and once more an effort to com-
mence. But it was in vain; the noise was deafening, and
for at least five minutes nothing but wild clamour was
heard. At length, amid great uproar, the Principal re-
newed his efforts, and this time with greater success—com-
parative quietness reigning for a short period. Tho rev.
gentleman, however, at about the middle of his prayer,
'which was in Latin, having made a slight pause by trans-
posing a phrase, a voice sung out, " That's a Maxi" [a
great error], and hearty laughter mingled with the Princi-
pal's solemn sentences—sentences which every now and
then, too, were answered by " amen" intoned from the
students in the opposing end of the hall. Immediately on
concluding his prayer, the Principal was about to proceed
to administer the oath to Mr. Maitland, when, greeted by a
hurricane of cheers, Mr. Emslie, a student, attended by two
of his comrades, and waited upon by a law agent and a notary
public, advanced to the desk and began reading a protest
against the election of the Solicitor-General as Lord Rector.
The reading of their document occupied some six or seven
minutes, and it was listened to most attentively by Mr.Mait-
land, who smiled good humouredly as the reader dwelt
emphatically on the "incompetency and illegality" of
the day's proceedings. The document having at length
been finished, it was duly signed and lodged in the Prin-
cipal's hands ; after which that gentleman administered the
oath to Mr. Maitland, amidst terrific cheers, hisses, and
yells.

The new Lord Rector then took the chair, and spreading
out the manuscript of his address before him, began to read
therefrom. But it was useless ; his performance was mere
dumb show—not a single syllable could be caught for the
clamour. Ceasing shortly, smiling at the excited crowd
before him, and dodging the missiles which continued to
fly in all directions, he waited for a hearing. At this
moment,
Mr. BURR, a student who had taken a leading part in
promoting the cause of Sir A. L. Hay, stood out from
his fellows, and said—Mr. Maitland, I am requested by the
students of this University to inform you that they hope
you will not think of addressing them, as they—[The con-
clusion was lost in a shout of derisive laughter from the
students in favour 'of Mr. Maitland.]
Again that gentleman began to speak, and this was
heard—" I accept as frankly this protest which you have
now offered"—when the tumult again drowned his voice,
while at the same moment a splinter of wood struck him on
the nose, and blood instantly flowed from the scar. Still
the learned gentleman smiled good naturedly, and, indeed,
looked the calmest and most contented person on the plat-
form. Half an hour had now passed with nothing done,
and, as the excitement seemed to be increasing rather than
abating,
Principal CAMPBELL, advancing to the front of the plat-
form, with considerable energy exclaimed—"l will take
other means to put an end to this disgraceful scene. I have
marked two or three gentlemen who have been taking an
active part in these proceedings, and"—(Cries of " Out
with them 1" "Expel them 1" concluded the sentence.)
But the row abated not, and a gentleman having whispered
something to the Principal, he said—" Yes ; we shall call
in the police." (Great shouting, and " Oh, oh I") The
Principal continued—" I am sorry to say some of you have
to-day . . . Your prospects in life are ruined by the
proceedings of to-day; some of you are not only making
use of expressions of opinion, but using dangerous missiles."
In the lull which followed these remarks,

Tho LORD RECTOR was heard—" It must be painful to
the whole Senatus—it is peculiarly painful to myself—

these proceedings," He then recommenced his address,
and got over about a dozen sentences, when the tumult was
renewed by the protesting students making a rush to leave
the hall.
Principal CAMPBELL, with energy—Lock the door.
The College servants, followed by some of the Professors,
hastened to obey, and after a struggle succeeded in their
object.

The LORD RECTOR, when silence had been thus obtained,
said—A gentleman upon my left hand has kindly asked
me to begin again; shall I do so? (Loud cheers, and cries
of "Yes, yes," from the three or four hundred students
who were still present.) Accordingly his lordship com-
plied, and, amid repeated applause, had read perhaps for
five minutes, when the return of the students to the door,
with shouts for instant admission, brought him to a stand-
still again. Some of the Professors, highly indignant at
these repeated interruptions, proceeded to the door, and for
several minutes were engaged in a personal encounter with
the roused pupils, who at one time had two of the learned
gentlemen apparently on the floor amongst their feet.
Again the uproar ceased for a minute or two, and the Rec-
tor, who throughout was amazingly calm, once more re-
sumed reading. He had only proceeded, however, a page
or two, when stones came whistling through the windows
from the excluded students in the courtyard of the College.
Unheedful of this—though some of the magistrates (the
Provost is not at home) took means to have the throwing
stopped—Mr. Maitland held on to his manuscript, and
had done so for about ten minutes, when,wit with a
door, com-
bined rush, the students return
the
in, and disorder again prevailed. This was too much, and
closing his manuscript,
The LORD RECTOR, in a lofty and emphatic tole, said—
Gentlemen, I had hoped to have addressed to you SOILP ob-
servations which I had thought not unbecoming for the
present occasion, and which I was certain were not likely
to create, but were calculated to allay, excitement. But,
unhappily, gentlemen—I cannot but think vary unhappily
—there have been some few members of the University
acting upon views which I think, on calmer consideration,
they will abandon—(cheers)—acting not merely in a frank,
manly way to express and vindicate their protest, which
protest I was here as frankly to receive as they to offer.
(Cheers.) With all regard for those gentlemen—regard, let
me tell them, which is unabated by the evidence I have this
day seen of the excitement under which they are acting,
because I am quite confident that the exhibition which we
have had here is no fair index of the character and demea-
nour—(cheers)—to say nothing of the hospitality to a
stranger—(hear, hear)—which I am sure is the characte-
ristic of the whole students in this University. (Applause.)
These gentlemen have to-day protested, and they did right.
(Hear.) I now, upon my part, protest—and I protest upon
behalf of the great body of the gentlemen who voted against
my election, that they have no part in this demonstration.
(Hear, and loud applause.) It is impossible that they can.
And I protest also, upon the part of the very demonstrators
themselves, against it being supposed that this heedlessness
into which, in a moment of excitement, they have been
hurried, is the slightest index of what we may expect from
them either here in their University career or in their
professions in after life. (Cheers.) I do regret
it ; but I trust that .it is a thing which, having oc-
curred in a moment of excitement, will be forgotten and
never remembered against them at all. (Cheers
and hisses.) But, gentlemen, I am afraid that 1

this excitement, in the continued determination for
the present to make this demonstration, it is impos-
sible for me to ad tress to the assembled students of the
University—those who voted against me quite as much, and
in quite a friendly a spirit, as those who voted for me—it is
impossible for me, I say, I am afraid, to persevere in that
address without increasing the excitement—without lead-
ing to conduct more to be deplored, and to consequences
which none should so much regret as I, if I were in any
measure accidentally the occasion of them. Therefore,
gentlemen, I am at present not in the hands of those stu-
dents who did me the unexpected honour of nominating me
and voting for me ; but I am in the hands of those who mat
be present of the other body of students—equally distin-
guished, and entitled to .my respect—who may still be
in
this hall. I say lam peculiarly in their hands when I ask
the question of this meeting—shall I proceed with the ob-
servations which I had proposed to address to you?
and cheers.) It is of very little moment I believe, gentle-
men, whether Idoso or not—of very little moment, be-
cause I cannot imagine that aiy remarks which I COuli
tender to you are of real or permanent value. The role°
why I should regret if it is made impossible to continue my
address is simply this, that I am afraid that the breaking
in for the first time in this way upon what I understand t°
have been the invariable and time lonoured usage in tilts
place, will be recorded not here, gentlemen, but elsewhere
—(hear, hear)—as evidence that somehow or other a than :
has come over the spirit of Aberdeen and its students;
that no longer will it be right, safe, or proper to hold those
communications which even strangers from a greater dis-
tance than I have heretofore come to hold with the whole
body of the students of Aberdeen, knowing that whether
they take part in their election or were opposed to theoll
they, at least, would meet them with the cordiality 61i7.
frankness which belong to them. (Cheers.) Now I saY."
am not in the hands of the gentlemen who voted I°4
me, but of the gentlemen who voted against me.
they choose, they certainly have it in their povrst,
for the reason which I have just explained, :to bring the
present meeting to this abrupt conclusion. If, on the ogle',.
hand, they hold it to be consistent with the course will
they have taken—a very reasonable and right course
humbly think it to be of tendering a legal protest-if °el
think it batter to call in question the illegality of that Pro-
test by proceedings of violence, which literally are utterly
inconsistent and destructive of it—(hear, hear)—if they
think that they may possibly kindly allow me to proceed:
with the observations which I had intended to make--';
can assure them, if they come to that resolution, they shy
not hear one single word from me which can by possibility
be construed into anything deficient in due respect to that'
(Cheers, and cries of " Seats, seats.") Now, allow me te
make another request, and that is, that gentlemen will 0
further contribute to excitement and interrupt the delivery
of my short observations by cheering. Probably they wl°,
see that upon the present occasion at least it is expedient
that we should abandon this practice. (Heir.) His lord:a
ship then proceeded to finish his address, which he (11
with only one other interruption of importance, when he
again offered to close, but amid loud cheers was called 00
to proceed.