The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-13 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY TESTS' ABOLITION .1311,L.

The following statement of the exact scope of '2llr.
Coleridge's bill, now before the House of Commons, may
be useful for reference :—" The bill comprises Mr, Cole-
ridge's and Mr. Bouverie's bills of past sessions, It
applies to both universities, and thus meets the objecMons
of those who deprecated partial legislation. It, moreovrer,
satisfies the demands of those who required the subject, if
dealt with it at all, to be dealt with completely and finally ;
for, if this bill is passed, the tests question at the univer-
sities will be settled, so far as regards Parliament. The
fundamental principle of the bill is the recognition of the
national character of the national seats of learning. This
principle is worked out with due regard, on the one hand,
to the public interests, on the other to the independence
of the colleges as self-acting societies. As regards the
universities, the Legislature prescribes : es regards the
colleges, it enables. The opening to the Queen's subjects
of the degrees, public professorships, and academical
offices, emoluments,. and privileges, is mandatory ; the
opening of the college fellowships and offices is permissive.
The Act of Uniformity and other restrictive Acts of the
Legislature are repealed ; but, so far as concern the col-
leges, the bill stops short of requiring emancipation, and
leaves-such college to please itself. These are the positive
enactments of the bill. On the negative side, clauses are
introduced to disavow any intention to interfere with
existing law or usage, as regards (1) Masterships of En-
dowed Schools (Section 3. Proviso) ; or (2) College Fel-
lowships and offices (Section 5) ; or (3) The celebration of
public worship in the Universities or the Colleges
(Section 7)." '

The leading Nonconformist tutors and students at Cam.
bridge have issued a circular calling upon Nonconformist
ministers to exert themselves in favour of Mr. Coleridge's
measure. They observe that previous bills of the
same kind; which have been brought forward in past
sessions of Parliament, have been introduced by episco-
palians, and by them mainly supported ; but their endea-
vours have not, it is considered, been hithorto adequately
supported by Dissenters ; and they appeal to their fellow-
Nonconformists throughout the country no longer to leave
their champions unaided. The circular is dated Cam-
bridge, March 4, and the names appended to it are those
of William Steadman Aldis, Thomas Northcote Toiler,
Neville Goodman, Samuel Hope Morley, Ellianah Armi-
tage, John Remington Wilson, and Charles Edward
Baines Reed. Many years have passed since the Non-
conformist bodies made a steady and united effort to influ-
ence the Legislature ; and it is alleged that the fact that
twelve hundred peers, professors, and clergy have signed
an address to the Archbishop of Canterbury, calling upon
him to head a strenuous opposition to Mr. Coleridge's
bill, renders it their duty to make such an effort once
again.

THE rßiar PRESS ON THE GOVERNMENT

PROPOSALS

The Liberal journals express much dissatisfaction with
the programme of Mr. Disraeli's " truly liberal measures
of domestic policy for Ireland," as stated by Lord Mayo
in Tuesday night's debate. The Evening Post sums up
the list as follows : " Upon the land question, illusory
legislation and fraudulently-meant inquiry ; upon the
Church question, denial, qualified by insult, of religious
equality ; upon the education question, a pretence of reli-
gious equality, which, leaving the University of Dublin
and the Queen's University in the possession of vast re-
venues and great endowed colleges, gives to the people
and religion of Ireland a university without a college,
and with the chance of a petty and doubtful subsidy."
The Freeman observes that Lord Mayo took four hours
to reply to the speech of Mr. Maguire, and after all
that talk arrived at no single proposition that will give
satisfaction to the country. As to the land and the
Church questions, the Government will do nothing. The
Freeman aski, what will, the House of Commons do?
The Northern Whig thinks the Opposition are not likely
to acquiesce tamely in the policy of "No surrender" with
regard to the Church Establishment. 'The Conservative
organs are equally dissatisfied with the Ministerial policy.
The Daily Express thinks that, with the exception of the
course adopted on the Church question, it cannot meet
with the approval of the country. In the opinion of
the Express, " the country " means the Tory landlords
and the Ulster Orangemen. The Express strongly depre-
cates the proposed legislation on the land question, and
sees great danger in " departing from settled principles
in so important a question as that of the rights of pro-
perty." With respect to the conferring of a charter on
the Catholic University, the Express is deeply afflicted
at the success of the Ultramontane party, " in getting a
Conservative Government, in defiance of its Pro-
testant adherents and in contempt of the independent
Roman Catholic laity, to lend itself to the scheme." If
this concession were a settlement of the question the
Express could understand its expediency being urged
upon the House, but it is only a means to an end - only a
step in the process of Ultramontanising Ireland. The
Evening Mail is equally opposed to the intended legislation
on the land tenure and the granting of a charter to the
Catholic University ; but, on the whole, considering the
ghtcirashLmi hoe omrf sdtesi
cthrryaae
Mayo's
aoo r
might
ogos rpffhdet
ratherel kchlhaa yvi
have
eforpr persistenceeslryohm. perhaps
epTsthiame
past,and the
more
t hae
cautious
t
admits
tomilloeeiuntt ssse et
pthhorefoa
been apprehended." Saunders's News Letter and the Irish
Times speak more favourably of the Ministerial policy,
but they do not appear to be perfectly satisfied with it.

It is stated that there were 12,600 evictions in
Ireland during seven years, i.e., 12,600 families were
reduced to destitution.

A marriage is arranged to take place between
Lady Laura Phipps, eldest daughter of the Marquis and
Marchioness of Normanby, and Mr. Vivian Hampton,
second son of Mr. Hampton Lewis, of Henllys.
THE REPRESENTATION OF HUDDERSFIELD.—MR.
Wright Mellor has become a candidate for the seat
occupied by the late Mr. Crosland, and opposes Mr. E. A.
Leatham. The contest will be very severe.
A. subscription list has been opened for the pur-
pose of procuring a portrait of Sir William Heathcote
by some eminent artist, to he presented to the county of
Hants, and to placed in the room where the civil business
of the county is for the time being conducted. Upwards
of £3OO has been already subscribed.

THE EASTER VOLUNTEER REVIEW.—The Secre-
tary of State for War has approved of a review of volun-
teers taking place at Portsmouth on Easter Monday, the
13th of April. Applications from corps desirous of attend-
ing this review must be made on a prescribed form through
the lords-lieutenant of their respective counties, and de-
livered at the War Office on or before Thursday, the 2nd
of April, after which date no further applications will be
received.

THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE FARNHAM
INQUIRY. —The report and decision of the Poor-law
Board has been laid on the table of the House of Com-
mons by Mr. Sclater-Booth. The report virtually excul-
pates the guardians. It takes up the position that the
most serious charges are unfounded in fact, and that the
other charges have been grossly exaggerated. It admits
that, in respect of nursing, ventilation, &c., there is much
room for improvement.

THE TODMORDEN TRAGEDY.—DEATH OF THE REV.
Mn. PLOW.—The Rev. Anthony John Plow, of Todmor-
den Parsonage, died on Thursday evening in great agony.
from the injuries received on the night of the murder of
his servant. The infant child also died on the same day ;
it was born only three weeks before the murder, and the
unavoidable removal from the mother after the murderous
attack on her is supposed to be the appnximate cause.
Inflammation of the brain was observable in Mr. Plow on
the previous night, and before the morning he had become
delirious. Mrs. Plow sustained the shock better than was
expected, but she was not allowed to be present when her
husband died. The Rev. Dr. Molesworth arrived at Tod-
morden, but too late to see his son-in-law alive.

THE RUSSIAN DEFENDERS OF SEBASTOPOL. —A
few days ago the eighth annual banquet of the old defenders
of Sebastopol was held at St. Petersburg. The number of
officers present was sixty-five, the Grand Duke Nicholas
being one of the party, and General Todtleben presiding..
Speeches were pronounced by General Zelenoi and other
officers. Telegraphic messages were exchanged with the
Grand Duke Michael, lieutenant of the Emperor in the
Caucasus. Some days after the officers who took part in
the feast paid a visit to the Grand Duke Nicholas to
thank him for his constant solicitude in favour of the old
defenders of the fortress. " I consider it a happiness,"
replied the Prince, "to belong to the family of the
defenders of Sebastopol, and it is I who ought to thank
you for giving me so cordial a reception."
THE PEOPLE AND THE GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.—
...plying to a letter of Mr. E. Stanley R. Jones, secretary
to the National Society for the Restoration of Endow-
ments, Mr. J. S. Mill writes :—" I thoroughly approve
the object of your association, the value of which will be
very great when Parliament comes to deal with the mass
of the grammar schools of the country, the report on
which is about to be presented to the House. The seven
schools included in the bill now before the House were
originally designed for the highest and most costly educa-
tion which the nation could require, such as would only be
given to a select portion, not to all ; and this is still the
idea which is in the minds of those who are attempting to
reform the gross abuses of those schools. But the prin-
ciple which I uphold is, that the persons who should be
selected to receive the education given at the highest
places of education should be those (of whatever rank or
class) who have most distinguished themselves in those
other schools which are the proper preparatiou for the
higheqt.p.