The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-24 00:00:00

PREROGATIVE COURT.

Lord HOTHAM moved for a return showing date of
appointment of Dean of the Arches and Judge of the
Prerogative Court ; the number of causes heard ; of ap-
peals prosecuted ; of sentences 'affirmed, reversed, or
carried on appeal ; also, showing the number of allega-
tions, libels, articles, acts on petition, and motions in each
year since the appointment of the present Judges of the
said courts ; also a return showing the number of
causes ready for hearing and left unheard, and of causes
heard but reserved for judgment, at the rising of the
courts for the long vacation in each year during the above
period.
Mr. FRENCII moved for a return of the number of
times Sir Herbert Jenner Fust sat as judge in the Pre-
rogative and Arches' Courts during the last four terms,
and the hours of sitting.
FREE TRADE.
Mr. NEWDEGATE called the attention of the House
to certain descrepancies which appeared in a return of
the prices of grain at the different continental ports
which had lately been laid on the table of the House.
Mr. LABOUCIIERE said the returns alluded to had
been prepared from information received from the
British consols abroad. They gave the highest and
lowest prices of wheat at the various ports for a series of
years, but the average prices could not be ascertained
with any accuracy, owing to their not being able to know
the quantities sold.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said he thought the discrepan-
cies required some explanation, as it was the intention
of the Hun. Member for Montrose to found a motion
upon the returns, and he would appeal to that Hon.
Member to postpone his motion until the House was in
posseecion of more accurate returns.
Mr. IIUME considered the discrepancies mentioned
would not affect the obj-ct which he had in view, "Which
was to carry out free trade to the fullest extent, and not
timplv to p,,sseks the nane of free trade without having
it in fAer. It wcs his intention to appeal to the Govern-
ment to give him an opportunity of bringing on the
question, which was (110 of the greatest importance.
Mr. LABOUCiIERE sa:d it would be of great public
convenience if Honourable Members would give nonce
• • •

trim in nrder to afford the Government an oPP°rtli°l
of giving borne explanation. h
aflr. NE WDEGr'ATE observed that the lion. Aleal-eoll
motion appeared on the paper to-night, and he tb°°7o
it right that he should not proceed to argue on rotor
the facts detailed in which could not be reconciled.

SMITH O'BRIEN.
Sir LUCIUS O'BRIEN had observed certain lel"'
ts
in the newvapers, complaining c f the harsh trea,lelea!
which his brother had received in Van Dietnersl!arT;
and ho wished therefore to tisk the Right Hon. Balf
Ce
the Secretery 'of State for the Home Department,' ;
had received any dispatch feom the colony, etating "
real treatment he was receiving?
Sir G. GREY had not seen the statement; hue!
patch had been received from Van Diemen
l'at-it(e
informing him of the arrival of four of the a-01
prisoners, of whom ,Mr. Smith O'Brien was ofQ
of the course pursued with regard to them. If the r"he
Baronet would move for a copy of that dispatell,
should have no objection t, produce it.—(Hear, hear'
)
FREE TRADE. i sr
Mr. HUME observed that considerable
prehension existed in that House, and out of
cii:
on the operaton of what was called tree trade; and if
should be glad to know if the Noble Lord at tne bra ere
the Government could produce any returns thlitvi
calculated to remove that misapprehension.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was not aware that helco go
Mr. HUME would have no alternative thee ou',
bring on his motion.

KILRUSH UNION.
Mr. P. SCROI'E repeated his question which he,roe
last night to the Right Hon. the Secretary for Irelac
the;eubjeet of the Kilrush Union.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said he had written to
land for the information.
DISTRESSED UNIONS (IRELAND) 13Irdii; the
Colonel DUNNE wished to ask the Noble Lord sed
head of the Government when he intended to pro's
el
with the Bill for the relief of the distressed utfiltser
Ireland, about which the Noble Lord thee other pig"'
pressed so much anxiety. eed
Lord J. RUSSELL was most anxious to Pr°,eo
with the Bill, but it was difficult to make a Prom
when ho would bring it on.
THE UNIVERSITIES. , or
M-. HEYWOOD rose to move that all sYstefee
academical education require from time to time :00e
modification, from the change of external circumstse
the progress of opinion, and the intellectual improeetp
of the people. That in the ancient English and Irish er
versities, and in the colleges connected with thew, °cod
terests of religious and useful learning have not ad°ll
so
to an extent commensurate with the great resource 50,
high position of those bodies ; that collegiate statleil
the fifteenth century occasionally prohibit thee, eon'
authorities from introducing any alterations into
luminous codes, of which a large portion are 0 pee
fete ; that better laws are needed to re!°oo
the ceremony of matriculation and the e'
ing of degrees ; to diminish the excidra9iret
ness of the University libraries; to provide for god
distribution of the rewards of scientific and n'tetiore
merit; to extend the permission of marriage tu,etore
of colleges, and to facilitate the registration of r'bt
for the Universities; that additional checks ratteleeo
considered with reference to the continued exteaseer,
of individual students, and that the mode of tetiti'nee
college property ought to be ameliorated, Psrrigbt
larly in Ireland. That, as it is her MajestY'%itoie
and prerogative to name visitors and c° Col'
sionera to inquire into the ancient Universities an 010
leges of England and Ireland, an humble addre9oll3
presented to her Majesty,. praying that her Majestfoo 1,
be graciously pleased to issue her Royal Cow:l3°,Bl,oe
Inquiry into the state of the Universities and Coln, to
Oxtord, Cambridge, and Dublin, with /,'en,tine
assist in the adaptation of those important 'niters
Lions to the requirements of modern t the
The fact that a large number of the Members °IO
House had been at one of the two Universities fr tes'
great advantage to him in bringing forward 1.11:11
tien. In 1772 a great deal of attention was Pi-0W
the subject, of university reform, and consider
improeement resunee from it. The subject the l eti;
mained dement untie 1834, when the House "Vey'
tioned on the sulijecr, and the late Mr' *bre°,
succeeded in passing a Bill which was tb
out in the LordF. AftQrw.rds Mr. Christietatog
Master of the Mint, and other distinguished indiviia the
exerted themselves to bring about some alteration ener,
university system, and of late years considerable ;50
ations had been made in the laws of both thane °roger'
learning. The first thing that struck the
on visiting either of the Universities vir“;eheeli
large number of tutors who were until-0e
He considered it was a great disadvantage that ntrelie:
the best men in the Universities were obliged I,oe soe:
quish their fellowships ;ellen they married. -lel' ef '
cases they were driven to obtain the mastarsh'prell";
grammar school in some country village, and °JP;
guise situations for which they were peculiarly nueoire
He believed to a very great extent the conditions on pOe
the property of colleges was originally lettateees
died out. Under those circumstances he t" one
it was very desirable that there should b° der
inquiry into the property, end the conditions,,;eoof
which that property was held in the Univets`,,,""esk
Oxford and Cambridge. It was the intention of Ja`;gliof
in granting charters to the universities, among ihool
things, that the Members of Parliament for
„te°'
Universities should present to Parliament a true e`"teoe'
accounts for the several universities from time t°
He (Mr. Heywood) might call on the members of ate'
Universities, under those charters, now to render trtioglo
counts of the Universities to Parliement, but he the
j,
oioo
it more advisable that the House should get intntlane
respecting them through such an inquiry as he nOrf
the
The Hon. Gentleman proceeded to complain, need
hardship of the law which rendered it ohligobe
on authors to deposit a copy of their works at %Os'
the Universities, considering the immense revenu from
joyed by those seminaries. The income arisiegioti
Fellowships at Oxford was about 120,000/. Isba
at Cambridge, 90,000/. ; and in Dublin, t,0,00r,
venue of the College estates, amounted 10 °by
The Hon. Gentleman then read the oath takelleieb el°
Fellows of King's College, Cambridge, fro vv,"aaeish,l'
argued that it was impossible for a member of th' -of iv()
to propose any great change in the constitution_oeio
scciety. In the reign of Henry the Bth, co of
was sent down to inquire into the University gait,
bridge, and though a circle of courtiers were rOl
ready to snap any confiscations of the Wl'tellififr
property, the King disappointed them by eett`of
them that the lands could not be it` 004
hands, and contented himself by depriving,,„"ieere',e
all the bulls which had been directed to the u" s"„e
by the Pope. Edward the Sixth, Cardinal •r,.°
Queen Elizabeth, all issued commissions '`)
same purpose to both the Universities.
on, Archbishop Laud intermeddled with tbhe Ce,°,3o,
of Oxford, and would have done so sc't'd irrie
bridge, had the Puritan party there allows of tb
He was sorry to say that many of the ill etfeet9d. Pi(
prelate's interference were yet visible at OetA)rfertitto
thought a change would be beneficial. At `"'
they looked at the lists, they would find that OT3'‘De
of the students failed, tire reason of which wo.s%it
told, that they failed in their divinity. He th°7Dreoe
f lot
er,
none but persons of great learning in de
should be appointed to the theological chtti
management; too, of the college land' with fe
lie
be greatly amended, and more especially publip,
gard to the case of Trinity Celleee, pipet
An importance attached to Trinity College' eetl'l)o
peculiar to itself, on account of its being the gill. .e :0
only literary institution for the whole of Irelanuo,
Right Hon. Member for Tainworth had certai°osl9ei
great service to that country by recently e,taog
schools and colleges at Gel way and Belfast, maeb°lo
could only be considered as superior grarettircoth°4
11e recollected an matinee in which a Roman
student obtained a scholarship at Trinity his J,O
Dublin, but was deprived afterwards on P 0
fusing to take the. sacrament. To be stlelgeo'
emolument was very trifling, being onlYe,olcoe
year, but it was a -degradation that Roman vocoe it;
were not allowed to take the secular honour of o'igo
ship. It appeared to him that these scholarshiPought
et
to be open, and that the test of the sacrament opricifte
be entirely abolished. At Trinity College, Ca, itogo
taking the sacrament Ras purely volunt2'i. '.OlO
believed the first step they ought
ti
°B ford
was to institute a searching investigat:°, u 1 et
the constitution of the old Universities. l'"-te Brest
the students treated the Thirty-nine Articles iclthe
levity, which ,showed the worthlessness of beol‘ite
which was applied. It appeared that the hol/hice
which they signed their names to the. "-LPf. 0;0
Articles contained three columns, one 0 the eat/
was for the sons of noblemen, another . for •atee "e'
of gentlemen, and the third for the sons of plebe' the Pool
the great anxiety was not to put their names in
e,OOl to
beian column. On the other hand, however, e'edinfy
conscientious scruples as to the propriety of ern at gtg
these tests, and Mr. Romilly, one of the Mast to 50%
ford, had told him that it was extremely ealypisselitie,
a refusal to a student who " adopted
grading' beard
principles. How long was this degrau'
miserable proselytism to continue ?—(6ezira'ecef oil
This question had too long remained in abei 4050,
he hoped the House would now take up Leila), 604
with vigour. At all events, ho felt pereibett
fled that the day was not far distant "eeetittiol/t
would have a further inquiry into this Wald;
important subject. At present too much wa, leas-one
of what was called ancient usages and ancienvogied or
and everything like modern literature was oeterireli
Nothing was so common as to meet with a ent",
Cambridge man on the continent, who wee tight 5016
ignorant of French and German. They Were, ',al ood,
useless things as logic, and the Ds'tlijoife'oor
was, that when a scholar left the 1019 o°'
he had to throw aside his former be° fi°te
enter as it were an entirely new,he otsaDor
Now very little change would be effected in ggeclol.;
things until the system was entirely alter° acne-ale/
money was voted for the support of modern 4 P.,p00
ships. Put such men as Mr. Macaulay and eed "15/
•ht enl upon a commission, and the House might ma
a al
it the result of those deliberations would "sines•
iiniver 100 _age
improvement in the conduct ef our
had brought this motion forward becauae he cbsoiat4
the Universities themselves could not e 64,00/ Pe!
without legislative interference. There were tie
o.oool'
of doted, such as the elective system, which
,cife ceiloatot
sifted and disposed of by a c ommission. lees t"nolifYo
tie; were the seats, and no doubt would recneeed eetsg
of civilization, and they ought to change
I;,evaaefer:
with the improvements of the age. It was the ti'dorel
to all men to be educated at one °id wh°,,,iide
cities, and none ought to be exclud'
who in iotee;
fit to be admitted into them. To the Denne4 es afi
to adopt the bar, medicine, or the Chgrhe n;),
et
sion it was almost indispensablq that to fiefli,
he-en at college., arid no one 064%iotie 111/.0
eluded on account of hie retie die
.50 1),
It was no answer to till him this boat:,
vessi;ies were nurseries for the Church' e' /4

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