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626 THE LEADER. [Saturday-,
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PABLIAMENT OF THE WEEK. The Government c...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Nphat Russia Really Intends To Resist, A...
permanent payments on the Consolidated Fund , some of -which would very properly come under occasional review , such as salaries or permanent offices . The object of the bill , therefore , was entirely of a financial and administrative kind , — an improvement upon the plaa ^ keeping ) * $ he public accounts , for thevp ^ r | Kife of their ; & tet $ er revision . Nothing could be n & re improper tijtoi to impart into such a measure a « 6 ctarian squabtllef the less , since Mr . Spooner ' s cjjij | stion might hje $ j teen raised in a tf ^ narate sarSaerrdment bil & a & iext
scission . The debase was destitute of novelty on either side , with one exception . Lord John was spirited enough to declare that , if the House supported Mr- Spooner in rendering the charge . for Maynooth the subject of anannual vote , Ministers would withdraw the bill . The House cheered , and Mr . Spooner ' s motion was negatived by 106 to 90 . Perhaps Ministers would not have had so many votes even as tna ^ if jbhey had suffered ¦ waverers to pass over to the enemy by want of decision themselves . *
The House of Commons has rejected X . ord Harro $ rby ! s till to remove the deserted ' - 'City churches to the . suburbs ; -. has . not adopted-. , Mr , Bright ' s suggestion to discontinue the regium donum ,- * r & nd , in short , is bent chiefly upon doing nothing in religious as well as temporal -matters . It is a plan suitable to the House as at present constituted : to do nothing is the easiest kind of labour for xnen of compromised opinions , whose very seat in the Hou ^ e , ' * virtually " representing a fractionally enfranchised people , is a
comproreuse . .. . ' ¦ . ' : ¦ . ¦ . ' : Another debate in -which Ministers have shone , is , that raised by Mr . John Phittitnore ' s motion respecting the right of neutrals . at sea during ¦ w ax . It is well known that during the last war , our Government insisted upon a principle which had . been , asserted in a ' previous war , for . the purpose pf annoying . France— that the goods of an ? enemy found 'in a-neutral ' s ship were confi ^ & te . In ' asserting th'is ^ principle , England r & . lie ' a upon the oldest commentator <> f international
law ; but the object of the reviviil was , , to . vex and injure iTrance . On the 6 u fcbreak of the present Jvar , France and England were Tbrought * into joint action , and it would have been very unfpV tunate if their treatment of enemies , neutrals , and allies , at sea , had differed . Now , it so hapV pened , that in the treatment of ejieniies' goods on board neutral ships , France had - adopted" the ' same liberal principle which w ^ stnalnfeined b ^ England in the middle of the seventeeiitb : eein ^ uijy ' Jn its treaties with several continental powers , and which the -United- States Obavef done much < to inculcate by incorporating i it in all thetir treaties 1 mt
ax important , ptates . > ( Jn . the other band ,, England has been in the liabit of treating * with greater Kbe ' raW the property of ' neutrals found on board e « emxes' smfis . -In ., ' arranging their > int action ! , the 1 Grovbrnments of France arid TEfcgJatia 1 ' reciprocally agreed -to tfdopt the most liberal con- fitruction on both si < Jea , , ond itd / treat with ; equal freedom , the property , of . an enopiy jn a neutwil , % rfflW 8 prjoperty . pjf ^ neutro n . an enemyW , ship . Free traders at home , especi a lly , in " thei shipping interest , complain that tills arrangement tendto
s , encourage neutral traders , to the injury of our own subjects ; and hence * as well as a love of-old authorities , Mr . ' Phillimore's vattenirit > t & re vive the old principle . $ t would- have bednv diffi cu , however , to ; introduce i | b into practice ,, since eijpresa sfipultftioifis with so many qountnoa including Spain , Holland , and the United States , ' would have compelled frequentexceptions ' inrthe enforcement of the rule . We l > eheye' that the
present . arrangement does injure . some , of' our f ^ jlow-au bjepts ; but there is no dou ^ t , that it ia a ^ anjtagepus to commerce at large , and syo quite , aBtco \\ nth Mr . Boyer , that any amcndir \ ep , t fipbn the ' present _ a ? ule must bo , to give a further ox , tottmon to tho immunities of commerce during wajpi ' . df-M expected ' that the suspended writs tfo » Canterbury Cambridge , Hull , Maldon , and Karaatario ,,-mil jsauq noxt week ; and , in anticipation 01 that eVont , candidates for the vacant seats are beginning to appear . For Canterbury . Mr .
Auchmuty Glover comes out as a Liberal Conservative ^ a Derby east I—at leas t , such is the impression created by an address which couples a willingness ibr approved reforms with objections to the w at-as entailed by want of Ministerial " firmness : " For Hull , General Perronet Thompson haa-peen invited to sttm . d ; and he accfep ^ the invHaiion , $ & he be- ^ n ' ot / called upoi ^| p Attend tlioiMands sibling in defending a seat vi 6 ate |||| by o / Ae ^ jbribe ^ . If HuHibe again represenj ;^ gby the . c | ear-hejaaed , independent , and lndefatMSMale general , wj ^^ eitali ty ^ fliee cat ^ jot din ^ it ^ ptSpdo the be ^ tsijbing avaitertaU ^ r ^ retrieving its ^ ljajnaged character .
We have , in a separate paper , noticed the anomalous eeneurrence of-mudh difficulty-in busi iieasj l wi € h ' every sign of continued prosperity for the country at large . One of the most remarkable of these signs is , the state of the revenue . That is , indeed , not so entirely favourable as it appeared on the last account . There is a considerable decrease , both on the year and quarter , under the important items of Customs , Jixcise , and Taxes , On the Stamps there is a very slight increase ; on Property-tax and'Post-onice a more SdnsiderableYincrease . Of course the decrease of
duties has gone'for something in this curtailment of revenue , . but -no . doubt a decrease of consumption has also contributed . When , howe-ver , we look to the fact , ° that there is actually a war ; that some foreign countries have been undergoing much financial " difficulty ; that we ourselves have had a bad harvest , —the wonder is , not thai ; there should . be-any ; decrease , but -that ; the 'decrease should not'be more considerable thah'it is . ' The
Jiet atnouht is " a decrease of 812 , 7891 . on the quarter , 471 , 369 Z . on the year . The general maintenance of the revenue is , in great part , ex- plained by the indications which the usual paoiithly returns of the Board pf Trade furnish as jfcd the state of commerce .., The exports during jbhe month of May ( technically * that ' ending on the 5 th of June ) show an increase" of more than-4 Q 0 jO 0 O ? . over the corresponding month in 18 S 3 . There has been a decrease this year on the April ; and January months , but the whole of the first five months of the year 1853 show- an increase pf more than lalf a million , and of nearly 8 , O 0 O , O 0 OZ . over the first five months of 1852 . The totals of the five months are—in 1852 , 27 , 760 , 296 / . ; in ; 1853 , 3 p , 09 £ , 824 ? . ; 1854 , 35-725 , 362 ? .
626 The Leader. [Saturday-,
626 THE LEADER . [ Saturday-,
Pabliament Of The Week. The Government C...
PABLIAMENT OF THE WEEK . The Government carried the Oxford University'Beform Bill thropgh 1 its second stage , t > n TJiursday , without more than verbal opposition from Lord JDerby , but with # je menace of amendments in committee . "' TR ' e deiidte was rather a dialogue ; the mpver ' of ithpjaecond , reading and the leader of . the opposition , alone making enormously long , speeches . The mover of the second rpading was "V "\ scount GANnrsra . Having traced the various phases of the question from a ipei ? iod anterior to the issue of the commission of inquiry , Jie said the spirit in which legislation vraa now proposed -was that of a desire to lay down ' , beyond the risk of disturbance , ttie fundamental'principle of representa'tioh in the government of the . university . The bill , therefore , whilst prespribiug , » n an obligatory form , certain changes ,, left both the university and the colleges at liberty , £ 0 a limited' extent , to carry out tlm't principle . Vindicating « tlio-fluthority of JParliampnt over tho univer-Miy > ) iP ^ f })? wil > e 4 t |> e constitution and functions of the gpyern ^ g bpdy aa proposed by the bill , observing , that , being ; Da ^ edi upon representation , it secured . responsibility > tind IiaftnonioKs action . Provision was nexfc madefoir the estaWwhmea ^ t of private MHs , by 'yWVPP ? " s ^ dentia would be enabled , to reap tho ( benefits pf university educatjion , ,-yvitliou'i incurring ( the'heavy expenses attendiitiV on TesMonce in colleges . , At ,-preaent : thoi oxp ' enseaofan undergraduato , )"; <• ,. ^ njf . ^ f ? ii 9 K 9 , Pr ^ aI » . for > i * 1 » r « e ! years , could not * e e ^ tmm ^ ed at leak tlian .. ^ p / . and he kn , bw pf no oett «> vfty of reducing thld Great amount thnn
by enabling masters to opert' tlWir houses a , » private hall $ ^ , THwt ^ ripciplo , of competition \ ms thereby mtroduco ^ tlpom -whiolv lio fin ticin afed , groat benQflts to pOrsons W moderate means in ; the qducaiion of their flonij . This competition in tuition would elevate the character of the -teachers and improve tho class of ; feUpws in , some of thecollogos ; and it waa a provision which tho Government could on no account iconeont to yield or modify , believing , as thay did , it waivmuch more advantageous to the university itaelf Wan , tUo Bcjhcme eugg « Bted by tho hebdomaaaj . board . \ fifA ithen referred to the changes made in tho measure I 8 » nfio i %$ JJijrBt introduction , and vindicated tho policy oftUo Q , oy . erftmcnt in nccopting them . Their general oflecfc i » thp WQfltSmpprtantpwtloularswns to render tho moapura of an enabling character , and ho denied tnat in nny rcfljpccii fhoy wcpo open to tho chargo of
spoliation or disregard of founders' intentions . The rightjof-preference belonging to schools would not be abolished ^ anditfyei commissioners would have power to aid tlia ^ eBflargeni ent of the professoriate for the j ! % iefitp 9 f -the university . He next described the machinery Jay -which the bill would be carried out . Gon ^ mjsa ^ njgrs were appointed , whose powers he admittea ^ wece ' e ^ tensive , but they were not dangerous , w ^ flpti r'they were effective for the object in view . ( Cw & icjauses were in the bill as it now stood wfiich hacT'Saeen introduced into it during its passage through , 4 te ^ fp » 8 e- ^> f 4 ? ommons . He alluded to thoaeijgjRicli prjivided tha ^ no oath should be necess ^ CT- ' on matr ; qul | tion saice the oath of allegiance , not upon ( taking tne first degree . The object of these
clauses Ycaajthe a dmission of dissenters to the benefits of the university . He frankly admitted that the Government would have preferred the decision of this question to have been left to the university itself ; "but a large majority in the other House , composed la part of persons -who had been prominent in asserting the privileges of Oxford , had decided otherwise . Having traced the progress of legislation in favour of dissenters of late years , he submitted thai . their admission to university privileges could not now be refused , regard being paid to the-relations subsisting between the university and the State . He urged the House that the changes now proposed would enable the University of Oxford to fulfil its educational duties in a manner satisfactory to the country .
The Earl of Derby congratulated Lord Canning upon having , on the 6 th day of July , ; b « en the only member of the Government who had teen able .. tp bring forward any of the measures promised at the beginning of the session which had obtained the sanction of the House of Commons . Ironically ( Observing that ithadi ^ one through five editions , and the . most remarkable metamorphosea , he said that nevertheless it contained a . great deal of matter that . required most sericrtis consideration . This was the first direct ' interference of Parliament with , the
internal constitution and management of either of the great universities ; and he contended that it went beyond what was necessary to effect the alterations required in the discipline of the university . A measure of an enabling- character , if introduced with a friendly feeling , and in due > communication with the governing body , would have done all that was necessary . The university itself , however , had sought to amend its own constitution , and to extend its benefits ., Whenihe ^ was in office , application was . made tohim for a charter enabling the university to deal iwith . i ^ he Caroline statutes , to alter the constitution of the governing b 6 dy , and to restrict in certain respects the law of mortmain . He
advisedhow-, eyei ; , that a petition to , ; the Crown , for a charter ( Should not be presented unt ^ l an of Parliament liad heen passed of an enablingcharacter ; but within a month from -that period he resigned office . The present . Govemmont then intimated their intention of dqalipg with the question , of reform- but beyond the recommendations of the royal commissioners the university had no means of knowing what was expected < from them . The university lost no time in , applying themselves to tlje consideration pf those recommendations , and having done so , they issued a report , the merits of which deserved their lordships' most favourable regard . Complaining that the university had no , knowledge whatever , of the
intentions and requirements of the Government : until the 17 th March last , when the first bill was printed , he compared the constitution of the governing body of tho university aa proposed by the bill apid that proposed by the heb , dounadal board . Tho leault of the comparison was a conclusion that the body contemplated by tho bill would prove use-Jess , obstructive ^ and mischievous , whilst that proposefl by , the university w < w more , liberal in its character an & roorp . likely to , produce unity of action * Tho university tyad not manifested the sensitiveness Which he expected on the appointment of commiepionero ; but he regarded . it » as a dangerous precedent , dp 8 tr # ctiv to tlio indopendwee . of tho univcrsitv .
. As he did .. not . dQsire to prevent legislation on this subject , he should abstain from opposing their appointment ; but ho should endeavour to place some urtuor limitation upon their powers . In committee 10 should movo soyeral amendmcckts , one of which rvquW be , that the legislation of the colleges , to give jflcct to their own statutes , should bo -with tho consent of their visitors . lie should further object to . fho nrqvision whioh required that no oath token by any officer of the university , or of any college , should bp pleadable in bar to the authority of tho commissioners . He
objeotcd , too , to tho establishment of private hollsv and contended that hia noblo friend had greatly ox ' aggowted . tho noccsenry oxpenees of ft university education . Ho oatimntcd thorn at loss than onohalf tho amount -which had been stated , and ho qonioa that private halls could giro oitlior so good or ^ o ohoap an education as tho coHoggs . They would eubvorfc and destroy tho discipline of the university and establish mischievous distinctions ; whilst ho submitted that the university might bo oxtended without tfoom—througli moans which ho pointed out
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 8, 1854, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08071854/page/2/
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