"PROJECTED SPOLIATION IN SCOTLAND—ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY BILL."
AN article bearing this title appeared in the Standard of Thursday, from one of our contemporary's correspondents. We need not trouble our readers with more than the first sentence of tbis learned lucubra- tion, of some Knight-errant (we guess) of the Northern Universities. " What," says he, "would be thought in Oxford or Cambridge of an attempt to merge one college in another, without the consent of either body ?—to turn one into a manufactury, and rebuild the other with public money ?—to lump Oriel with Brazennose, or to eke out the endowments of Pembroke with spoils ravished from Emmanuel ?" Such are the classical ravings of the Standard's Tory correspondent, against the bill which Mr. BANNERMAN Inas introduced into Parliament ; it having been read a second time in the House of Commons without opposition, and its principle approved of by Sir ROBERT PEEL! It was our in- tention to have noticed some of the details of this excellent bill, had not a press of other matters interposed : but we cannot withold from the readers of the Spectator, even for one week, a specimen of that canting humbug which is daily practised for party political purposes.
In an Aberdeen paper, we find the report of a meeting held there of
the alumni of Marischal College at which various resolutions were passed, and speeches made, against Mr. BANNERMAN'S Bill. One gentleman yeleped "advocate" (?) after commenting at some length on the terms of his motion, said in conclusion—" The bill is to go into Com- mittee on the 23(/ July—mark the coincidence !—a day which the sacred authority (g' the General Assembly has set apart for fasting and humilia- tion !" Better and better. We see that a petition against the bill was agreed to at the meeting, and copies ordered to be sent to the Members for the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, and Dublin, requesting them to support its prayer. Tine pious gentlemen forget themselves : they would not compass a good end by evil or questionable means; surely they would not expect or desire, that the Right Honourable HENRY GOVLBURN, Sir ROBERT INGLIS, 011(1 the Right Honourable FREDERICK Slimy, should attend the House of Commons, even to sup- port this petition, "on the 23d if July," since that is the day "set apart for fasting and humiliation" by " the sacred authority of the General Assembly."
What are the intelligent citizens of Aberdeen, Mr. BANNERMAN'S constituents, about ? We know what they ought to be about.
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