Dr. Carpenter, who for his great services as Registrar to
the University of London has been very rightly placed by the Crown on its Senate,—appropriately enough, as it happens, in the place left vacant by another eminent physiologist, the late Dr. Sharpey,—wrote a rather unfortunate letter to Tuesday's Times advocating the claims of Sir John Lubbock, as opposed to those of the Master of the Rolls, Sir George Jesse), to be returned to the House of Commons, in the place of Mr. Lowe. It was an unfortunate letter, for two reasons. In the first place, it has always been regarded as a part of the etiquette of the University that the Crown memberd of the Senate, who are not electors, that is, are not represented by the University Member, should abstain from influencing the election ; indeed,. any such intervention has been regarded almost as the inter- vention of Peers in the election of a Member of the House of Commons is regarded by the Commons. And in the second place, Dr. Carpenter's quite superfluous advocacy of the claims of Sir John Lubbock,—who seems absolutely certain of success,—pro- ceeds on a very untenable assumption, that the special object of the University of London in selecting a Member should be, not to add in every possible way to the efficiency of the House of Commons, but to send there the best possible representative of the scientific spirit. Now, as the House of Commons debates perhaps fifty questions of law, politics, and social well-being, to every one involving pure science, that is hardly a wise assump- tion. The University should, of course, use its official resources as a University to strengthen the House of Commons most where it needs strength most, and where the University can best provide it, but that is all ; and our contention is, that wise and thoughtful as is Sir John Lubbock, the University
had nowhere else so good an opportunity for giving to the House of Commons,—even on educational questions,—what the House of Commons most needs, as it had by sending there as its representative the Master of the Rolls.
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