Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-21
A(istrIlONtous
Prom the Baftcn Traveller
AN AMERICANS VISIT TO AN ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY.


II have inst returned from q visit to Oxford to
attend the annual "Coinmomoration," a festival
corresponding with tue "Commenccments' in the
American colleges, though differing from them in
She order Of ceremonies. The
was Of uncommon interest this year, in conse.
qucnCo oC its being made the occasion for the
laying Of the cornerstone Of The new Museum AN
event to which the friends of progress aud reform
IN the University attach much Importance. The
Earl of Derby, the Chancellor uf the University,
attended in person, which OF itself gave the day
a peculiar distinction, aud his duties are usually
performed en- these occasions by the Vice Chan
ceilur. Tuesday, the 18th was kind Of fete diy,
or popular festival, preceding the academic cclC-
bration of Wednesday. There was a BtSanr or
Fair to raise funds FOR the restoration Ol the Abbey
Church ut Dorchester: there was Il beautiful
Flower Show in the gardens of Trinity College,
attended by n brilliant company, and onliycncd by
mHsic from the Col1strcam Band and there was
a sermon 10y tho Bishop Of Lincoln, before the Gov
oruors of the Radcliffe %InfrmarJ. lp tho evening
there was n very important and interesting gather
ing at the Radcliffe Library, the learned and dis
tinguished Librarian, DIR. Henry Acland (who
has been SO long actively engaged in promoting
the interests OF Physical Scicuco in Oxford, and
in the formation Of the New Muscum,) having
issued invitations for a Conycrsaziouo in this build
ing, in honor Of the distinguished guests and Of
the occasion. The hall was beautifully decorated
with flags, and drapcry, AID lowers and every ac-
conmodation was provided for The comfort Of the
thousand guests.
The day Of the commcmoration was ono of those
cloudlcss bright and beautiful days Of which Eng
land can never boast but eight or ten in the course
Of tho year. The thr0ng of visitors was immense.
Tho services of the 'Uommcmoration Of Founders
and BcnelacjOrs of the University wcro held in
the SheldOnian Theatre, one of Sir Christorhcr
Wrcn's ~tastoloss structures. The upper gallery
was occupied by the undergraduates, the lower by
The ladies, aud She area or pit by masters and
friends introduced by them. The two upper gal
lcrics and 4 large part of the area were filled at an
carly hour, and the undergraduates employed the
interval while waiting for the entrance Of the pro-
cession, in the usual noisy demonstrations. This
is a day of liecnso for the students, n perfect Sat
urnalia, in which the ordinary restraints Of college
discipline are relaxed, and the young men arc al
lowed complete liberty Of shouting, grooming, and
expressing their opinion upon the officers of the
University, public mel, and public measures and
events in general.
Crowded in the capacious gallery there were at
least some six or eight hundred students, all shout
ing at the top Of their yoiScs, aud almost without
intcrmission, until the academic exercises com
menced. First, they gave loud and hearty cheers
for the Queen then for prince Albert, Lord Rag
Ian, Gen. Sir Dc Lacy Evans, Gen. PelisSicr, the
Emperor and Empress Of the French, and Sthc
Allies in general, interspersod with hearty groans
for Russia. The name of Miss Nightingale was
received with q perfect tempest of loud and oft
repeated applause. Gladstoncs name was greeted
with Kisses, indicating the popular disapprobation
OF his position in regard to the war, mingled with
cheers t~estitying the admiration for his abilities
and past parliamentary services. Aberdeen was
greeted with groans. The boating men shouted
for 'rhe University Eight and The Baliol Crew.
The Senior Proctor was enthusiastically his
5ed. The Junior Proctor as enthusiastically ap-
%plauded.
Cheers were given for The Late Proctors.' and
a wag proposed cheers for Future ones Through
,"t Ia xrIa1a III IL xrorA ,aNAaNnlly ,laar
ed it was the standing cry, with which every
pause was filed. There were shouts for the ladies
in white and the ladies in blue for those in
pink in green in yellow in buff and in every
other colori for the ladies in bonncts' and the
ladies in hats; ; for the ladies coming;in,' the la
dies that have got in : the ladics,who can't get in,
tho ladies going out for the ladies engaged and
the ladies disengaged the ladies with black
eyes the ladies with blue eyes, the ladies with
black hair the ladies with light hair; the ladies
in glasses and the old maids Lady Derby,
Lady Stanley Lady Lyell, and others, were sin
glod out for special recognition. Loud cheers
greeted the names of DR.. Acland, DR.. Pussy, the
Chancellor and other University ~dignities. Dis
raeli was loudly ayplaudcd 'Layard' received
with groans tempered by u few cheers: Palmer
ston' with mingled cheers and Kisses; Bright and
Golden were groaned Justly. and Sir Edmond
lyons cheered. No language can describe the
he%artiness and the deafcning intensity Of these yo
alterations.
A a distance far outside of the building it wa
like the roaring of the sea. Nor was there want
ing certain sublimity in the enthusiasm of the
young men and theil honest spontaneous and hear
ty expression Of their sentiments. In the mids
of this uproar the great doors were thrown opcl
tho Chancellor entered the Theatre, followed b,
the Yico-Chancollor, the Proctors, the Bishop o
Lincoln, the Heads Of Houses, and Doctors o
Divinity, Medicine, Law and Music, all in their ap
p~ropriatc gowns. The Chancellor was conducted
10 his throne on the platform, the Nice-Chancello
took a seat on his left, and the Proctors were sta
toned on either hand. Loud cheers were given by
the undergraduates for Lord Derby, but the cheer
inG was interrupted by the playing of the nationa
anthem on the organ, and the students were soor
joining with all their yigor in the words Of Goo
save the Queen.' The Chancellor then announced
the donation from Lord S~tanhopo of the sum o
go a year to be offered as q prize for a compost
ton on q subject of modern history, which dona
ton was accepted by the Convocation. He thei
read the list Of persons on whom it was proposed
to confer the degree of Doctor of Civil LAW ask
ing the opinion of the Convocation on each one
The undergraduates made this the occasion 0
new sallies, giving loud answers on one side o
the other, as Non placed 'Quamobrem ?" &c.
AT one of the Names, when the Chancellor ha,
asked the cOnvocation, 'placetne vobis, Domin
Doctors, placetne vobis? ? a voice replied to hi
lordship from the gallery, non noJis Domino a
which somewhat irrevent sally Lord Derby's gray
ity was for q moment upset. The degrees hayint
been assented to, DR.. Somerset of All Souls Col
lege, presented each Of the candidates separately
to the Chancellor in a short Latin speech, STATING
neatly the peculiar qualifications of the individual
about to receive the hOnUrs of the University
First on the list was the name of the Hon. james
Buchanan, our Minister at the Court of St. James,
who was received with loud applause, intcrspcrsod
with cries of Bravo and Yankee Doodle.' The
candidates stood in the area, with their scarlet
doctors robes, while being presented, and then
assembled the platform 1.-THE Chancellor and proc
tors rising and taking of their square caps as
they approachsd), shook hands with the Chancellor
and took seats on the platform. The Count dc
Montalembert, a member Of the French Academy,
was the next recipient, and was received with loud
cheers, and shouts of 'Yive PEmperorp Sir Johr
Beverly Robinson, the Chief Justice of Nova SEQ
tia, was the third candidate. Who is hep crieC
the galleries, and some one c~onvulsed the whole