New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-22
THE ENGLISH UNIyE RsIrIEs.


which even the English Universities are subject
fast anchored as they sre supposed to Oe-ls deli
cate question of discipline which has arisen at
Cambridge aud which, before being finally declded
by the authorities of the University, is already
subject of discussion in the newspapers Inc
police Of the University i', 1t appears placed IN
charge of certain officers attached to each college,
and selected from amOrg the fellows, ana Known as
proctors Under the new University slstutes lsteiy
adopted, the power Of the proctors to deal !neiii
selves with ofe nders is restricted to light" often.
ses, which they may punish either by admonition,
BY pecunsry fine, or BY placing the culprit unler a
sort of temporary arrest. "Grave ofenies must
be reported to the Vice Chancellor who is to eIer-
else his discretion in bringing them before his
Court. which is composed of the Masters Of Col
leges in which body alone is vested the power to
inflict the severe punishment of rust'cation-tem-
porary suspension, that is, from residence at the
University or, the highest one Of expulsiOn-these
with the lighter penalties which the proctors may
infict, being the only punishments known to the
di,cipIne OF the University.
II apart of the duty of the proctors to keep
a watcbful eye upon such houses of ill repute as
may exist in the city, and occasionally TO search
hem; in discharge Of which duty, one Of the
proctors found one night, about ii O'Clock, an
under graduate concealed in what the proctor
| describes as ga very infamous house which
under. graduate, as it afterward appeared, did not
return to his college that night. This was the
first case of the sort which had come under
notice since II late change in the statutes; and,
considering this to be grave ofense, the proc
tor reported il TO the Vice-C hanceor who saw fit
| 10 Jay it before his Court, composed as we have
mentioned, Of the Masters Of Colleges. That body.
however, did not inhict any punishment on the cul-
| prit, beyond mere admonition; while, at the same
time, an intimation was conveyed TO the proctors
that in future, instead Of reporting such cases to
| the Vice Chancellor, they had better themselves
deal with them. As this decision seemed to the
proctor in question to involve one of two aterna-
tiyeNeither that the new statutes were not to be
obeyed, or else, that fornicstion was light 4"
ofense-to neither of which propositions could he
ssseDt-after some correspondence with the Vice
| Chancellor, be resigned bis Office, and was fol-
lowed in doing so by several other Of the proctors
who conceded with his view Of the case. The
question being thu, made to assume serious char
acter, the Vice Chancellor has summoned meet
ing of the University Senate to consider it; and, in
the mean time the discussion Of it has got into the
newspapers.
The Times undertakes the defense Of the course
adopted BY the Vice ChancellOrs Court and in so
| doing alleges that the course which they pursued
with the offender and their suggestions to the
proctors were in conformity to the hitherto es-
! tablshed usages of the University-it not having
been the custom TO bring ofenses of that sort be-
fore the Vice Chsncellors Court, except when the
case assumed the complexion Of systematic de-.
I prsyity 1t is denied that the Dew statutes were
intended 10 change at al the ussges of the UniVer-
siy ia this respect, or that in defining the powers
of the proctors they intended TO do anything
more than 10 record and confirm customs already
prevailing. According to The Times, the only ques-
ton is Shall ofenses of the kind referred TO stand
on the same ground with drunkenness, swearing
! and Sabbath breakiDg-whish, too, might to many
appear grave ofenses," and be dealt with phi
vately by tie proctOrs, as has hitherto been Gus
tomaryl or shall they be brought before the Vice
Cbsncellor's Court and punished with rustication
or expulsion Beside the severity of these latter
pun.hments, 30 apt to be ruinous to the prospects
Of thoie subjected to them, The Times objects, in
another point ofvew to having these cases brought
before the Vice Chancellor's Court. That Court
ia public tribunal. 1t il attended BY the Regis
trar of the University, who, in the capacity Of a
Notary Public, takes down its proceedings and en-
tiers them On q record which is preserved among
the archives Of the University. Hundreds Of
years afterward," The Times patheticaIy excAims,
1.-THE biography Of sOue exemplary Bishop or pstri: