HANSARD'S Parliamentary Debates During the FIRST SESSION of the THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT of the United Kingdom of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, appointed to meet at Westminster, 15th November, 1837, in the First Year of the Reign of Her Majesty QUEEN VICTORIA. Sixth Volume of the Session, HOUSE OF LORDS, Monday, July 9, 1838. MINUTES.] Petitions presented. By Lord KENYON, from the Treasurer of the Benchers of the Middle Temple, to exempt the Preacher belonging to that Society from Horton, and other places in the counties of Durham, place in Surrey, against the Sale of Beer Act. THE UNIVERSITIES.] The Earl of Radnor rose to ask a question relative to any steps which had been recently taken in the Universities for the purpose of effecting a reformation in their statutes. It would be in the recollection of their Lordships, that in the course of the last Session of Parliament he had moved for a committee of inquiry into the statutes of the different colleges, for the purpose of recommending such alterations and amendments in them as, after mature consideration, might be deemed advisable. That motion had been withdrawn by him in consequence of the assurance given by VOL. XLIV. Third the noble Duke (Wellington) on the one hand, and by the noble Marquess (Camden) on the other hand, that the Heads of Houses and other leading members of the Universities were applying themselves to this subject, and that they meant to propose a very considerable reform. In consequence of that statement, he had withdrawn his motion; and he was now anxious to know what progress had been made in the work of reformation? What proceedings had taken place by the direction of the individuals alluded to by the noble Duke and the noble Marquess? So far as he understood, nothing had been done except the abolition of the oath heretofore administered on matriculation-an alteration in the system which he undoubtedly considered to be a very great improvement. That, so far as he was informed, was the only substantial alteration that had been made at Cambridge, and he should feel obliged to the noble Marquess to state whether that was, or was not, the fact? Steps, it was said, had been taken at Trinity College, Cambridge, to effect a general revision of the statutes, and he B should be glad to know what progress had to carrying those ameliorations into been made in that revision. Such was the effect." Now, what any individual colstatement made, and he believed (but the lege had done he knew not, and what the noble Marquess could set him right if University had done might be very shortly he were wrong) that nothing had since described. For several years past there been done since August last, beyond the had been in the University of Oxford appointment of a committee to revise the some conversation as to the revision of statutes. Supposing that committee to the statutes; and at the visitation in Nobe sitting, its progress, if he were correct vember last, some alterations were made, in his information, was exceedingly slow. chiefly in the first three chapters of the Now, he should be glad to hear, if Trinity statutes. These alterations amounted to College had taken the question up, why it very little. Lecturers were no longer had not moved with a little more rapidity? prohibited from lecturing in Lent, and the Two other colleges (he spoke, be it ob- reading of prayers by the Chancellor on served, from the information of others) certain occasions had been dispensed with. were said also to have applied themselves The old oath taken by the young men on to this question. In Queen's College, he entering college had been abolished, an had heard, some degree of revision had alteration of which he highly approved. taken place. With respect to Christ's The third chapter, which related to the College, he understood, that some of the duties of tutors, had been slightly altered. leading members had expressed a wish It was admitted, that a great alteration that a certain degree of reformation should here was not only desirable, but absolutebe effected in its statutes; but an influ- ly necessary. It was hoped, that some ential individual interfered, and it was arrangement would be made by that ad. held, that no alteration could be effected mirable body of men, so as to divide their without legislative assistance, and so the duties more than had hitherto been the matter ended. In Trinity College, since case. Here an opportunity was given for last year, they appeared to have done no- making an extensive and useful alteration, thing at all in this business, and the same but nothing was done except the abolition observation applied to Christ's College. of certain punishments. After the first, Now, with respect to the University of second, and third chapters had been dealt Oxford, he did not know, that anything with, one would naturally suppose, that effectual had been done in any of the col- those who were concerned in the work leges in the way of revising the statutes. would have proceeded with the fourth He apprehended, that nothing had been chapter, which was a very important one. done. He had heard some time ago a They had not, however, taken that very rumour that one of the colleges had made plain and obvious course. After having an effort at reformation, but it was not revised the first, second, and third chap; successful. The colleges, he believed, ters, they took a very long stretch, and had done nothing individually; and per- proceeded to the fifteenth chapter, which haps it might justly be said, that the Uni- referred to the regulation of the manners versity itself had done little more than and conduct of the young men in the Unimake a show. He should briefly advert versity. Here some alterations were made to what he understood was the amount of in the provisions which related to the alteration which had actually been made dressing of the hair, the playing at footby the University of Oxford in its statutes ball, and the keeping of a horse or sersince last year. In the first place, he vant; but the most remarkable part of begged leave to draw the attention of their this chapter, as altered, was that which Lordships to the statement which, in the referred to libel, by which any young last Session, the noble Duke had made man, accused of having promulgated a with reference to this subject. The noble libel against any person, or of having such Duke then said, "I am one of those who a production in his possession, might be are of opinion that some amelioration cited before the Vice-Chancellor, called ought to take place in the statutes; and on to produce a copy of the libel, comsoon after I was placed in the situation of pelled to account for his possession of the Chancellor I recommended that something paper, and if he could not give a satisfacof that kind should be done; and I be-tory statement as to his connexion with lieve the subject has been under considera- it, he might, at the will of the Vice-Chantion from that time till now, with a view cellor, be imprisoned or banished from the University, over and above making satis- | tuallyin progress. He thought, that this faction to the individual said to be ag- was a correct outline of what had passed, grieved. This provision, he contended, and the noble Earl had now come forward, was new to a certain extent. Formerly as he said, to inquire what progress had this part of the statute contained two sec- been made. Now, the noble Earl had not tions relative to libel-the one as to written only asked, but had answered his own libel, the other as to contumacious words question. He had, however, called for spoken. These two sections had now details as to the progress which had been been united, and severity of punishment made, and had applied to his noble Friend was inflicted where it did not before apply. (Lord Camden) and himself, to give him A man was liable to punishment if he did an answer, which the noble Earl probably not produce a copy of the alleged libel, expected to correspond precisely with the and he was obnoxious to punishment if information which he had received. The he did. noble Earl had not only answered his own question, but had been pleased to comment on what had been done at the Universities. It appeared, according to the noble Earl's showing, that the Universities had done something, and he could tell the noble Earl that more had been done than he had mentioned. What had been done, however, was not satisfactory to the noble Earl, who had been pleased to comment in very strong terms upon this commencement, for it was only a commencement, of reform, and, as if the noble Earl had not commented strongly or severely enough upon what had been done, he had been prompted by one of her Majesty's Ministers, the noble Baron the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Now, he thought, that the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge had a right to look for protection against such comments as the noble Earl had made on those alterations which had already been carried into effect by the University of Oxford, and that, at all events, they had a right to expect, that the noble Earl would not be prompted and encouraged by her Majesty's Ministers in making these comments. Though the noble Earl had answered his own question, he could, however, assert, that the noble Earl had not adverted to all that had been done. The noble Earl had referred only to what had actually passed, forgetting that though some laws had not passed, they had been considered by the board of heads of houses and by the several colleges, and he thought he might safely say that the University of Oxford had not been idle in the prosecution of these objects. He protested against that House entering into a consideration of these bits of statutes on the present occasion, and he would give no answer to the noble Earl's remarks upon them. He called upon their Lordships to allow the University of Oxford to proceed with the revision of their statutes, with a view to The Duke of Wellington said, that the noble Earl had commenced what he had stated to their Lordships by adverting to what had passed in that House upon this subject on a former occasion. The noble Earl, however, did not quote accurately what had there passed, and he must therefore remind their Lordships what did pass, because it was essential, that their Lordships should be acquainted with what then took place, as it rather threw a light on the questions put by the noble Earl. The noble Earl in the course of the last Session of Parliament had proposed to their Lordships a bill for the purpose of creating a commission of inquiry into the statutes of the colleges of the two Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In the course of the discussion which took place on that bill, which was ultimately rejected by their Lordships, a right rev. Prelate who had distinguished himself as the head of a college at Oxford, proposed, that inquiry should take place into the statutes. Their Lordships, however, not only rejected the bill of the noble Earl, but also the right rev. Prelate's proposition for an inquiry. On that occasion it appeared to their Lordships that it would be desirable that the statutes of the Universities, as well as of the several colleges of which they were composed, should be revised and reconsidered, with a view to see what alterations could be made. The noble Earl, however, after the rejection of this bill, had thought proper to bring forward his measure in another shape, and, instead of a bill creating a commission, proposed the appointment of a committee to inquire into the various statutes of the Universities. Previous to the noble Earl's motion for that committee, he had had some conversation with the Heads of the University of Oxford, and he had been assured that there existed a desire to review those statutes, and that the work was ac |