necessary in order to carry those mea- | of January I received official communicasures into effect. That letter reached tions from the various colleges and from the me about the 14th of December, and, Vice Chancellor of the University, in which in acknowledging its receipt, I mentioned were set forth the various plans for the to the Secretary for the Home Depart- modifications of their rules and system, ment what were my own individual opi- for carrying which into effect the members nions upon the subject, and expressed a of those colleges were desirous of obtainhope that the measure about to be intro- ing the assistance and the co-operation of duced by the Government into Parlia- Parliament. All those communications I ment, in connection with University reform, immediately transmitted to the Secretary would be of such a character as to give the for the Home Department, in order that greatest possible latitude to the free and the Government might have the earliest untrammelled action of the Universities information on the subject to which they themselves, in their endeavour to remove referred. Shortly after the Christmas rethe obstacles which stood in the way of cess the Hebdomadal Board met together their improvement, and that no arbitrary for the consideration of that question which enactment would be forced upon their ac- was the basis of everything else, and withceptance by the Government, or any undue out which it was impossible to take any interference attempted to be made with re- further steps-namely, what alteration of ference to the internal management of their the constitution of the governing body in affairs. In the letter to which I refer a the University should be recommended to request was conveyed that the fullest in- Convocation for the purpose of obtaining formation should be given by the Heads its approval, and should subsequently be of the University upon the different points presented to Her Majesty's Government connected with their position and condition, for the purpose of obtaining, through them, as well as their recommendations with re- the assent of the Sovereign? I think your gard to the steps necessary to be taken for Lordships will see that until that important their contemplated reform, in order that question, what was to be the nature of the such information may enable the Govern- governing body, was decided upon by the ment to advise Her Majesty as to what Board, and until their decision had obtained course it was desirable to adopt upon that the sanction of the Crown, it would be important question, in the month of Fe- idle to enter into the consideration of the bruary. The letter of the Secretary for various questions relating to the internal the Home Department I received, as I be- management of the University itself, in the fore stated, on the 14th of December, just case of a body which was contemplating a at the end of term, and I lost no time in material alteration in its own constitution. transmitting it to the Hebdomadal Board The decision of the Hebdomadal Board in for their consideration at their next meet- reference to the important question of their ing. On the 19th of December, within a own reform was communicated to me upon week after that meeting had taken place, the 11th of the present month. Now, I I had an official communication from the think your Lordships will be of opinion Hebdomadal Board with respect to the that upon a subject so important—a subreport of the Commissioners. In that ject involving changes so extensive-the communication the members of the Board Board could not have used greater despatch apologised for not entering into the entire without having laid themselves open to the subject as dealt with in the report, and for charge of undue haste and precipitation. not being able to give any authoritative Upon the 11th the Government received decision upon a matter so important; they information of the conclusion at which the conveyed to me, however, the assurance Hebdomadal Board had arrived, with referthat they would take the earliest possible ence to the petition which they wished to opportunity to take the whole question into present, and that petition was forwarded to consideration; and having transmitted to me, and duly presented upon Monday, the Her Majesty's Government the report of 13th. At that time, the consideration of their delegates, which had not been ap- the question which had been introduced by proved of by the Board, they at the same Her Majesty's Government with respect to time expressed their hope and belief that University reform was fixed for the followin the course of the month of January they ing Monday, the 20th; and it was conwould be enabled to procure from the dif- sidered by the Board to be a matter of ferent colleges all the information which very great importance, that, before the the Government required. In the month announcement of the Government measure,

the Universities, as Universities, should be be summoned. That postponement, as I afforded an opportunity of expressing their have already mentioned, was assented to free and unbiassed opinions with respect to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the contemplated alterations. But in order to-morrow the period of notice given for to bring this subject under the notice of the meeting of Convocation will have exConvocation upon the following Friday, the pired. Now, the Vice Chancellor of Ox17th ultimo, it became necessary to give ford called on me on the evening of Monthe petition the Hebdomadal Board recom- day, the 13th. I saw him about nine mended upon Monday, the 13th, the ne- o'clock on that evening, and received from cessary publicity, in order that the mem- him the petition, which was, upon the very bers of Convocation might be aware that next day, placed in the hands of the Secrethey would be called upon to deliberate tary of State for the Home Department. upon it. The period of notice thus given On the following Thursday, upon my rewas, your Lordships will observe, extremely turn home from your Lordships' House, short. Upon Monday, the 13th, before II received a long letter from the Secretary received the copy of the petition, a member for the Home Department, in which he inof the University, one of its most eminent professors a gentleman with whom I have had no personal communication for the last forty years-came up to London, and held communication, in the first instance, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with whom I believe he is on terms of considerable intimacy. The object of that communication was to represent to the right hon. Gentleman how extremely short the time was which then remained to obtain the decision of Convocation, and how desirable it was that the Government measure should be postponed until their decision should have been clearly and fully pronounced. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, upon the part of Government, assented to the rev. gentleman's request for a postponement of the measure of the Government; but at the same time intimated that the Universities should not be put in a worse position, for the purpose of communicating with the Government, than that in which they then stood, in consequence of having lost the time for giving notice. The rev. gentleman said he had no power to make any stipulation with respect to the prior information to be given to Her Majesty's Ministers. But I, being desirous that no disposition to concealment, however slight, should be attributed to the Universities, took upon myself the responsibility to make a proposition to the effect that if the petition were placed in my hands, it should be forthwith presented by me to the Government-not, however, as being that upon which the University had definitively agreed, but as a petition proposed by the Hebdomadal Board and submitted by them to the notice of Convocation. Now I think it was not unreasonable that a postponement for a week of the Government measure should be asked by the Board, in order that Convocation might

formed me that Her Majesty's Government had taken into their consideration the proposed petition, and he expressed his regret that they felt it to be their duty to dissent from the scheme which the Board had framed, and that they were thus precluded from advising Her Majesty to give her consent to the propositions which it contained. I was, I confess, somewhat surprised at the announcement which was made in that letter; because, in presenting the petition of the Board to the Government, I had studiously abstained from asking them to state whether they regarded it with feelings of approval or of disapprobation-that the letter contained objections on the part of the Crown, not stated in detail, but objecting to the plan generally. I sat up to a late hour on Thursday evening, for the purpose of making as fully and as speedily as possible a communication to the Board, and that communication I despatched early upon the following morning, and also wrote in my own name a short answer to the letter of the Secretary for the Home Department. On Friday last the question was again taken into consideration by the Board, and some amendments in the form of the petition were introduced; but it became necessary to promulgate that petition on Friday, for the purpose of giving due notice to Convocation that they would be required to deliberate upon it. The Hebdomadal Board, therefore, had received, their Lordships would observe, the information of the dissent of the Government to their proposi tion, without any intimation as to the views which they themselves entertained upon the subject of University reform. On Friday the Board were obliged to promulgate their petition, and the result was, that not being able, in consequence of the shortness of time, to withdraw the notice which

they had already given for the meeting of had become necessary for the Government Convocation, they had to promulgate their themselves to prepare a measure. Had it petition without being able to introduce not been for the announcement which has into it, as it originally was intended, any been made by the Government, I should material alteration. It had been proposed have been quite content to leave the questo make one or two changes in the petition, tion in the state in which it stands. The and also to divide the subjects with which Hebdomadal Board have made known what it dealt into two or three different heads, they are about to propose; the Convocain order that the various questions might tion would have been asked whether they come as far as possible in a separate shape assent to it; the petition would have been under the notice of Convocation, and that decided upon by the independent voice of they might be able to pass their opinion Convocation, and it would then have rested upon the merits of the plan on their own with the Crown to decide whether it will independent sense of what was best for the assent to the petition or not. At all interests of the University, and unbiassed events, we should have had the indeby the assent or dissent of the Govern- pendent opinion of the University, and ment. That object is now frustrated. Parliament and the Government would have Her Majesty's Government had thought been free to act upon that opinion. But fit to intimate their dissent in the first in- the course which has been taken renders stance to the propositions which had ema-it necessary that I should put a question to nated from the Board, and their intention the noble Earl at the head of the Governin the next place to proceed with their own ment. The University, I believe, has not measure, without giving Convocation any been slow in their desire to meet the wishes power to do that which they admitted it of the Government, and they have afforded was desirable they should do-namely, to to the Government every information which submit to the consideration of the Legis- it was possible for them to give, both with lature a scheme of their own. I think it regard to the University and the colleges. would not have been too much to expect That information with regard to the colthat Her Majesty's Government, when leges the Government has been in posthey intimated their dissent to the propo- session of for nearly a month; and they sals of the Board, should have stated what have also been informed that the main course it was in their opinion advisable object of the University is to obtain a perthat the Board should take, and which, if missive power to alter the Carolian stathey did take, they would obtain the as- tutes. As the Government have thought sent of the Government. Such a mode of fit to dissent from the proposal which is dealing with the question would, at all about to be made to Convocation, and by events, have preserved to that body the anticipation to condemn the scheme, I am appearance of independent action; but the entitled to ask if the Government will present position of the question was this: undertake, before giving publicity to their the petition of the Board will be submitted own scheme for any alteration of the stato Convocation to-morrow, with the know-tutes of the University, to make an official ledge upon their part that they have no power whatsoever to make any alterations in it; that they can merely say aye or no; not with a knowledge of what the Government desired, but with the knowledge that, whatever they might agree to would not receive the assent of the Government. Now, my Lords, I contend that that is not the fair way of putting the question before the University, or of obtaining the independent judgment of the University upon it. I do not suppose that such has been the object of the Government; but certainly no course could have been taken which would have been more effective for rendering it impossible for the University to agree upon a petition for any scheme of reform, and thus for enabling the Government to say that, as the University could not agree, it

communication to the University, so that the University may, in an official and recognised manner, take such proposal into consideration, in order to see how far it will, in their opinion, conduce to the benefit of the University; or will they leave it to the University to learn, for the first time, from the reports of what takes place in Parliament, what the scheme of the Government is for the regulation of the future government of the University, and for effecting a change in all the institutions, habits, and mode of government of that body? Is the noble Earl prepared to state that, having disapproved of the measure which has been submitted to them in the first instance, the Government will communicate to the University, previously to bringing it before Parliament, the mea

sure which, in their opinion, should be introduced to effect these great changes?

transport of those important branches of the service-the artillery and cavalry. He THE EARL OF ABERDEEN, who was had heard this announcement with great almost inaudible, was understood to state regret, because the delay and inconvethat he could not undertake to promise nience of conveying horses by sailing vesthat Her Majesty's Government would offi- sels was very great, and was also accomcially communicate to the Hebdomadal panied with much risk to the horses themBoard before submitting to Parliament the selves, because, where the voyage was measure upon which they might finally long, it was often found that numbers died agree with respect to the Universities. on the passage, and others had to be shot As at present advised, it was certainly after being landed, being unfit for service. not their intention to make such a com- The experience obtained in the conveyance munication of that measure to the Uni- of horses belonging to the cavalry in versities. Anything in the nature of de- steam-vessels which plied between Liverliberation was out of the question in Con- pool and Ireland, showed that horses could vocation, which had no power to do more be conveyed in steamers with perfect than say "yes or "no" to the propo- safety. The inconvenience which might sitions of the Hebdomadal Board-except, arise to the expedition from the use of indeed, that any gentleman might, if he sailing vessels instead of steamers was wished, make a Latin speech; and the perfectly obvious, because the north-eastonly additional information which the Go-erly winds, which were more prevalent at vernment would have obtained by waiting this time of the year than at any other, until after the proceedings in Convocation, would therefore have been whether that body assented to or dissented from the propositions of the Board.

TRANSPORT OF CAVALRY TO THE

EAST-QUESTION.

THE EARL OF CARDIGAN said, he wished to put a question to Her Majesty's Government on a subject which he could not but think of great importance. In adverting to the subject, he was not inclined to think that Her Majesty's Government had acted otherwise than with the greatest prudence and judgment in carrying negotiations to the last moment possible before coming to the conclusion that recourse to arms was unavoidable; nor did he believe that they were now about to send out an expedition to the seat of war without an intention to carry on operations | with the utmost promptitude and vigour. The inquiry he had to put was one entirely of expediency, and he believed was worthy of the consideration of the Government. He had heard with great regret-and he could not but add with a great deal of surprise also that it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to take advantage of the discoveries in art and science which the ingenuity of man had placed at their disposal,-that they were not going to send out every branch of the expedition by means of steam navigation. He had been informed that they were about to send out the infantry to the seat of war by steamers, but that the same description of conveyance was not to be used for the

were likely to cause great detention on the
outward voyage. He therefore wished to
ask the Government whether they did not
mean to take advantage of the resources
of steam navigation existing in this coun-
try for the purpose of transporting every
branch of the proposed expedition to the
seat of war in steamers, without incurring
the risk, delay, and danger necessarily at-
tendant upon sailing vessels?
He was
quite sure that the people of this country,
now that they had entered upon the war,
would not grudge any small additional ex-
pense for the more efficient prosecution of
that war, and to render our aid as prompt
and as effectual as possible.

THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE: My noble Friend has called the attention of your Lordships to a very important question, and I can assure him that Her Majesty's Government have not neglected its consideration. My noble Friend says, he is quite certain that the country will not grudge any additional expense which might be required for transporting the cavalry and artillery by steam instead of by sailing vessels. I entirely agree with him in that statement, and am confident that no extra cost that may be necessary for that object will be grudged; but it is not upon the ground of expense that the arrangement has been made. My noble Friend thinks that, in the present flourishing condition of the steam navigation of this country, there would be no difficulty in carrying out his suggestion. Now it is precisely in consequence of that very flourishing condition of our steam navigation