The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

The Senate, in its answers to all that the
Graduates Committee have been able to advance,
has decidedly the best of the argument. It shows
that the thirty-eight institutions now affiliated
with the University, stands in a very different re-
lation to it to that borne by the Colleges at Oxford
and Cambridge to their respective Universities.
In London the University is not " a teaching and
supervising body, maintaining discipline over the
Colleges and exercising direct authority over the
students." Its functionaries, instead of alter-
nating with the Colleges, are in no way connected,
except by accident, with any College. Neither
are the University, or its government, in a posi•
tion to undertake such supervision and govern-
ment as forms an essential reit of the Oxford
and Cambridge system ; not even if it were wished
they should do it. The Senate also appeals to a
practical test. Already it has admitted candidates
for matriculation, and also to a second exami-
nation for matriculation, with honours, from all
kinds of educational institutions. With but this
slight encouragement, fully one-third of those who
have passed both examinations have been from
institutions not affiliated. The inference seems
indubitable, that wore the full advantages of the
Uuniversity examinations and degrees thrown
open to all, the proportion of candidates from all
sources would be very large.
On the particular facts of the case, therefore,
we must regard the Senate as having the entire
argument on their side, and we sincerely hope
the Crown will be advised to concur in its view.
The Graduates, indeed, allege that the value of a
degree will be lowered, since it ought to be, they
say, a certificate of both College training and
educational attainments. To the former it is
justly replied that the Senate cannot, and does
not now, give a certificate of College training,
since it has no means of enforcing anything worthy
of the name, or even of knowing in what way the
training is conducted in the affiliated colleges. As
to lowering the value of a degree, that cannot
occur if the examinations are what they should
be ; and it is the decided intention of the Senate
to sustain a thoroughly high character for them.
The examinations will not be a test of aristocratic
education, but they will be a test of such an edu-
cation as will place those who obtain degrees in-
tellectually on a level with, and perhaps above, the
graduates of Oxford and Cambridge.
Looking at the whole question, we must think
that the graduates of the London University have
taken a false position. Their institution originated
in a desire to afford to the great body of the
middle classes all the advantages of an education
at the old universities. It was known, of course,
that the advantage, whatever that may be, of
association with the scions of aristocracy, could
never be obtained by it. The Upper Ten Thou-
sand would continue to send their sons to the
traditional banks of the Cam and the Isis. But
the advantage of a first-rate education, and. of
entering life with a trustworthy certificate of such
an education, were opened to the middle classes.
Yet we now find the elite of those classes coming
forward to prevent the full extension of the ad-
vantages of their institution to their own section
of the community ! They ought to be amongst
the most earnest supporters of the liberal views of
the Senate.
It cannot surely be denied that the thirty-eight
affiliated institutions form but a small part indeed
of the sources whence aspirants to university
honours might come. There must be a large
number of schools which could furnish many ;
and there is no conceivable reason why the pri-
vate tutor of three or four or half a dozen lads,
who has, perhaps, a special aptitude for his work,
should miss the honour justly belonging to him;
still less reason why his pupils, placed with him
by parental solicitude frequently, and for the best
moral reasons, should lose the benefit of the cer-
tificate to which their attainments give them a
just title. A body of graduates belonging, as
those of the London University do, exclusively to
the middle classes, might be expected to be the
most zealous advocates of everything which could
improve the character of middle•class education.
We can hardly conceive of anything more likely
to do so than examinations for degrees, which
offer a direct premium for exertion to tutors and
schools of every kind. Let the Senate be firm,
and London University will become indeed a
benefactor to the country.

NEW HOPS.

SUN-OFFICE, SATURDAY.
RECEIVED AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK.

227, Borough, Aug. 15th, 1857.

The first pocket of New Hops arrived this day at
market, the growth of Jeremiah Smith, Esq., of
Springfield Ledge, Rye, and was sold by Richard
and Robert Russell to Mr. Thomas Fothergill, hop
merchant, MAnchester, at 10/. per cwt.