The Oxford Congregation debated the women's question again last Tuesday,
the Warden of All Souls' (Sir W. Anson) taking the lead against the new Statute. He ridiculed the idea of doing what was disapproved at Oxford only because Cambridge had adopted that course, and because it was not prudent to let Cambridge get the start of Oxford ; that was acting, he said, like rival omnibus proprietors who tout for custom. He also declared that if this statute were passed, women would exert their domestic influence over the curriculum of the Univer- sity, and if they disliked Greek, for instance, would coax or tease the University Dons of their household into voting for the aboli- tion of Greek. Dr. Liddon, in a speech of a much higher tone, explained that he did not object to women's culture, but he dreaded encouraging it in close proximity to the young men, and thought that it was due only to the admirable Heads of the Lady Margaret and the Somerville Colleges that mischief bad not arisen from that cause. Mr. Sidgwick denied the alleged danger to the physical constitution of women, and asserted that they were often sent to college expressly for the healthy physical influences of education ; but Mr. Dodgson was keen against that view, and produced instances of dangerous overwork, which he might have produced by the score in the case of men. The statute was carried, by 107 votes against 72.
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