The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-25 00:00:00

OXFORD UNIVERSITY ELECTION.

The Election of a Burgess to represent the
University in Parliament, which has excited so lively an in-
terest, not in this place only, but throughout the country, ever
since the elevation of Lord ST o wEr, r, to the Peerage, com-
menced at nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, in the ek2onvo-
cation House. After some few preliminary formalities had
been dispatched, the Rev. MICHAEL MARLOW, D.D. and
President of St. Jcthn's College, rose, and proposed the Right
Hon. Sir Joint NICHOLL ; and the Rev. FRODSHAM HOD-
SON, P.D. and Principal
_of Brasenose College, proposed
RICHARD HEBER, Esq. A.M. as a fit person for this distin-
guished honour.—No other candidate having been put in !mini_
nation, the Rev. V. THOMAS 'was about to address the House
in the English language, when he was stopped by the VICE-
CHANCELLOR, who informed him that he could listen, in that
place, to no observations, unless they were delivered in the Classi-
cal tongue of ancient Rome. It having been observed, however,
that this law, .which, on all ordinary occasions, governs the pro-
ceedings of Convocation, had usually been dispensed with at sea-
sons of election ; and the Rev. Mr. Vaux remarking that he re-
membered such to have been the case during the con test which took
place in 1807, when the present Lord Colchester was elected,
the Vice-Chancellor was pleased to waive the objection, and to
concede to Mr. Thomas the privilege of continuing his address.
The Rev. Gentleman said, that he would trespass on the time
of the House but for a very little time ; but that he felt himself
bound, in the fulfilment of a public trust, to call upon the
friends of Mr. Heber for some specific declaration in regard to
his opinions respecting any future concessions to be proposed
hereafter in Parliament in behalf of the Roman Catholic sub-
hects of this realm. This was a question affecting so closely, in
is judgment, the vital interests of the country, and involving
the security of our noblest establishments in Church and
State, that he thought something more open, unequivocal,
and decided in declaration was,indisponsably required from
Mr. Heber's Committee. The little that had been put forth
on the subject was guarded, and conveyed in general terms,
and in expressions almost always the same; but this was
a subject not to be discussed in a sentence, and dismissed,
as it were, with a dash of the pen. In deinanding from Mr.
Heber's friends a pledge of the most strict and unambiguous
nature, and running out into something like a full and expli-
cit detail of his opinions on such a subject, the Members of
Convocation could only act in consistency with the whole tenor
of their former conduct ; they having, upon every occasion when
the measure ..was brought before the Senate, addressed both
Houses of Parliament in the strongest terms against any
further relaxation of those laws respecting Papists, which
were justly considered as the bulwarks both of the Throne
and the Altar. Here, to corroborate his assertion, the
Rev. Gentleman referred to the language of some of those peti-
tions sent up by Convocation to the Houses of Parliament; and
concluded by declaring, with all possible sincerity, that he felt
great respect and esteem for Mr. Heber's high character, and
that his call for the pledge in question sprung from an earnest
anxiety, heightened by the bold latitudinarian spirit of the pre-
sent times, to preserve all the institutions of this country unde-
based and undegraded by any impure admixture from the Court
and Church of Rome.

The Rev. Mr. Archdeacon CIIURTON then came forward
for the purpose of entering into a statement of Mr. Heber's
pretensions and qualifications for representing the Univeriity in
Parliament; but considerable impatience. being manifested by
many gentlemen present, and there being a loud cry of " poll,
poll !" the Rev. Gentleman said, that he now for 50 years had
been a Member of the University, and durhy; all that time he
had never before the present time asked a favout of the Univer-
sity ;—he, therefore, implored of Gentlemen to concede to him
on the present occasion some little indulgence, and promised
not to abuse, by any exaggerated or unnecessary detail of cir-
cumstances, the kindness so conferred. He then said that Mr.
lleber was the best scholar he everhad under his care, during the
period of his being Tutor at Brasenose college ; that he could con-
strue Sophocles very well at the age of 17; that during the interval
of time which had passed since his removal from ALMA MATER,
he had honourably and assiduously been engaged in making
himself. master of those acquisitions which might best qualify
him to fulfil the duties of a Statesman ; that he was a most de-
cided antagonist to any future concessions to the ambitious de-
sires of Roman Catholics ; and, finally, that he had not can-
vassed the Members of Convocation prematurely, or in any
manner. unbecoming the dignity of a Gentleman, or at variance
with the established, tenor of academical habits. After dilating
upon these topics atconsiderable length, the Rev. Speaker sat
down amidst much applause, not unnungled with good humour-
ed lalighter.

A letter was now read by the Rev..Dr.Ellerton, of Magdalen
College, addressed by Mr. Heber to the President of that So-
ciety, in which he plainly and 'decidedly stated, with a view to
obviate the misrepresentation and misconception which too
commonly went forth on seasons at election, that his political
views were wholly unfavourable to the increase of power in the
hands of the Papists.
The Rev. REGINALD HEBER then stood forward and said,
that though he could not be considered as a disinterested advo-
cate, yet from the circumstance of his being more closely allied
in blood to the honourable candidate than any one present, and
more familiarly acquainted, on that account, with his opinions
and sentiments, he would beg permission shortly, but emphati-
cally, to declare that his brother was a -determined antagonist to
the enlargement of the political power at present possessed by
the Catholics. In confirmation of this statement he would add,.
that he himself, differing as he did most widely on this subject
from his brother, had frecf9ently held with him an argumenta-
tive discussion upon this article of their political creed, and that his
brother had strenuously endeavoured to bring him over to . his
own way of thinking: the sincerity in which he held his opi-
nion, therefore, on this momentous subject, was most unques-
tionable. In regard to another charge that had been loudly
and repeatedly urged against him—the charge, he meant, of a
premature canvass, he could not bring himself to belieie that it
was well founded. True indeed it was that be could not an-
swer for the conduct of every friend throughout so long a period
as had elapsed since his brother, I 4 years ago, and immediately
subsequent to the election of Lord Colchester, had announced
his honourable ambition of availing himself of some future oppor_
tunity to offer his pretensions to the Members of Convocation ;
but such a practice hail not been systematized into a plan, nor
sanctioned by the wishes of his brother. The Rev. Speaker then
proceeded, with much feeling, and in a strain of very impressive
eloquence, to eulogize the merits of his relative, and hoped, with
great humility, to be forgiven by the-Members of Convocation
for having said thus much in behalf of one who .had been the
guide and, instructor of his infant years, the adviser of his
youth, and the sole and munificent patron of his riper manhood.
The Rev: Mr.- HAMER' then said, that he had only one re-
mark-to Offerna the observations which Mr. R. Heber had ad.:
dressed to -the House, respecting the fact so stoutly asserted,
that neither he nor his brother had authorised the solicitation
of any vote previous to the vacancy occasioned by the eleva-
tion of Sir William Scott to the Peerage, He had the Most
entire conviction of the high honour and unimpeachable vera-
city of Mr. It. Heber, yet he must take leave to call to his re-
membrance that he (Mr. R. Heber) had, in his own person,
canvassed him (Mr. Hamer) 14 years ago, shortly after Mr.
Abbott's election. Mr. Heber, in reply, admitted.the fact,
upon the faith of Mr. Hamer's declaration. It had, however,
entirely escaped his own recollection ; and he trusted, that as
he was at that time only an Undergraduate, the indiscretions of
a boy would not be allowed to operate disadvantageously -upon
the interests of his brother.- •

The polling then commenced, and at the close of it, at five
o'clock, the numbersstood. as follow .

Sir John Nicholl. 2OB
Mr. .Heber
During the whole of Thursday the 'polling was kept up with
great spirit, by both parties, but evidently in favour of Mr.
Heber; and at the close the numbers stobd thus
Mr. Heber
tSir John Nicholl ' . . ..... 478
The poll was renewed yesterday morning, and was kept open
till two o'clock, when - the friends of Sir J. Nic'noll, finding
there was no chance of success, resigned the contest. At the
final close of the ppll:the numbers were—

For Mr.'lleber
For Sir J. Nicholl 519
Illajorit7