The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-06-27 00:00:00

ADMISSION OF DISSENTERS TO THE
UNIVERSITIES.

A LONG discussion took place in the House of
Commons on Thursday, on the motion of Mr.
HEYWOOD, for the admission of Dissenters to the
University of Oxford, by a clause in the University
Reform Bill declaring it unnecessary for any per-
son on matriculation to take more than the oath of
allegiance. Notwithstanding the opposition of the
Ministers, the clause was carried by a majority of
254 to 163, and Mr. HEYWOOD then moved a
similar clause with reference to persons taking any
degree. Upon this Lord JOHN RUSSELL declined
any further opposition, but Mr. WALPOLE showed
that there was a great distinction between the
two, inasmuch as while the first admitted Dis-
senters for education, the latter gave them a right
to a share in the government of the University.
Another division then took place, and the second
clause was thrown out by a majority of 207 to 198,
Mr. HEYWOOD expressing his intention to try it
again on the motion for the third reading last
night. Whatever may be the opinion of the dis-
senting body and liberalising Churchmen on this
question, a gross injustice would be committed on
the positive rights of the Church. The Universi-
ties of Oxford and Cambridge are essentially and
really seminaries expressly belonging to the Church
of England, and designed for the education of its
members. In any other respect the nation has no
claim on them whatever, and therefore to interpose
the authority of Parliament is merely a legalised
violation of right which is a disgrace to the lower
House of legislature. We have, however, no ap-
prehension as to the result. In the first place,.the
House of Lords, to whom the measure mast be
submitted, has very slight infusion of Radicalism
and Dissent, which alone could sanction an innova-
tion ; and in the next place, supposing both or
either of the clauses to be carried through Par-
liament, the admission of students would still rest
with the authorities of the University, and we
believe they have too much regard for the sacred
trust reposed in them to open their doors to any
but members of the Church.

THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION
OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS,
AND ITS ASSAILANTS.

WE had intended noticing at some length the slander-
ous statements and unchristian attacks which have been
recently made upon the Gospel Propagation Society. This
defence, however, was officially and triumphantly made
(as the following extracts will prove) at the annual meet-
ing, or 153rd anniversary, held in London on Wednesday
last, and presided over by His Grace the Archbishop of
Canterbury, when, amongst others, were present on
the platform, the Archbishop of Dublin, the Bishops of
Ripon, Bangor, Oxford, Llandaff, Chichester, Lincoln,
Down, Cork, New Zealand, Adelaide, Natal, Graham's
Town, London, and St. Asaph ; the Dean of St. Paul's,
the Earl of Powis, Lord Galloway, Lord Robert Cecil, the
Rev. Lord Bayning, the Rev. Lord John Thynue, Sir R. H.
Inglis, Sir T. D. Acland, Mr. A. J. Beresford Hope, &c.

AFPROFRIA.TION OF FUNDS AND ALLEGED FAVOURITISM

OP THE SOCIETY.

On this subject, the Secretary read the following
report, in answer to the objections made, that a large
share of the society's funds is expended on the other
colonies, and that the society confines its efforts to the
maintenance of clergymen in British settlements, while
the vast field of heathen missions is left to other societies.
First, with respect to the society's expenditure in
North American and West Indian colonies, it would
be seen by the report for 1843 that the expenditure
for that year, in the diocese of Toronto, was £6,500,
while iu 1853 it was only £3,100 ; and that in the
six dioceses of British North America there had been since
1843 a total reduction in expenditure to the amount of
£5,000, while the number of missionaries during the same
period had been largely increased. The reduction in the
society's expenditure in the four West Indian dioceses,
within the same period of -ten years, had been from
£11,200 to £2,600. To the other mis-statement, that the
society confined its operations almost entirely to people of
British descent, and took little or no part in missionary
efforts for the conversion of the heathen, the following
was the short and conclusive answer. The single diocese
Of Madras, (southern India) had received dnring the-past"
year the sum. of £10,150, or more than the three Canadian
together.;: arbilellie:dfoeese of Caret:Etta (be-
sides a large grant 'from the jubilee fund) had received
ths, sum of £8,900, or more than twice the aggregate
amount of what was contributed by the society to the four
Australian dioceses and Tasmania. In short, the East
Indies and Cetlon had received during the past year more
than one-third of the soeiety's whole income, and the total
annual expenditure on missions to the heathen could not
be reckoned at less than £23,000.

THE PRIMATR43 UNALTERED ATTACHMENT TO TIIE

PRITiCIPLES OP TAB SOCIETY.

The Ancnnrsnor, having opened the proceedings by
prayer, said that, although it was necessary sometimes for
the person who presided over a meeting like the present
to give some account of the society over which he was
presiding, and which he desired those whom he addressed
should support, it was unnecessary for him to do so on this
occasion, because he was sure that most of those assembled
were acquainted with the objects and operations of the
society. The society was founded on the principle that it
was the will of our heavenly Father that His revelation
should be made known by those who had received it to all
who would not otherwise receive it, and the propagation
of the Gospel throughout the world was provided for in
this way. There were natural feelings which necessarily
led to this—feelings of gratitude and sympathy ; and they
. found that the Apostles, though directed by Divine com-
mand, .were not devoid ,of those sentiments, and acted
• under those impulses. In cases of bodily affliction, which,
he grieved to say, often met with more ready relief than
the concerns of the soul,—if a person, for example, afflicted
with blindness had been relieved, if he met .one similarly
afflicted, he would not withhold from him the remedy by
which he had been cured or relieved. If he did so, he
would be thought to be devoid of the common feelings of
humanity. These were grounds on which the society
proceeded—Ahose blessed with the Gospel desired to com-
-municate its blessings to those who would be otherwise
strangers to the covenant of promise. About 150 years
ago the society was founded, for the purpose of supplying
'the spiritual wants of those whoieft this country for lands
-in which no suell provisions were made, for persons who,
from their circumstances, were not likely to be able to
supply themselves with the means of obtaining spiritual
instruction. This was the principle on which the society
was founded, and on which it had anted from that time to
the present. If there were reasons 150 years ago for a
society like the present, it needed na argument to prove
how great was now the necessity for such a society; for
those who founded it talked of plantstions, while in the
present day they talked of kingdoms, for the British cola-
nies had increased in number and extent of territory far
beyond that which could have been -contemplated 1.613
years ago. Under these circumstances., he hoped ;the
officers of the society were justified in calling attention to
its objects and means, and he trusted that support would
be received ccmmensurate•to the increased demands made
upon its funds.