The Oxford Union Debating Society celebrated their Jubilee on Wednesday
at Oxford, when Ministers of State, a Lord Chancellor, Archbishops, and other great dignitaries recalled those struggles of youth over which a glory of recollection is shed that will never invest the debates of Parliament or of Convo- cation. Archbishop Manning was one of the popular favourites of the evening, he and Mr. Gathorne Hardy dividing apparently the honours of the enthusiastic cheering with the University Chancellor, Lord Salisbury. The mention of Mr. Gladstone's -name was received,—so defective is youthful taste,—with a hiss, but perhaps it was less because he is the Prime Minister of the Liberal party than because he could not make time to go to the dinner. The Attorney-General made an amusing and strik- ing speech in proposing the toast of the University of Oxford. He reminded his hearers that Oxford's greatest men,—Dr. New- man and Dr. Arnold, for example,—had never formed schools or -cliques, that there were no Newmanians and no Arnoldiaias,— but that for that very reason the influence of Newman and Arnold went far beyond that of party leaders ; and so it was with the University itself. The Government could not escape from Oxford, whether Conservatives or Liberals were in power. On one side were Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Lowe, Mr. Grosehen, Mr. Monsell ; on the other, Mr. Hardy, Sir S. Northoote, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Mowbray. So, too, in the House of Lords, on one side were Lord Granville, Lord Selborne, Lord Kimberley ; on the other, the Duke of Richmond, Lord Salisbury, Lord Carnarvon. Was he not justified in saying, Esto perpetua Lord Salisbury replied to the toast, and was very thankful for " Esto perpetua," but laughingly asked the Government in what sense Oxford was to be perpetual. Was it without her endowments, or with them? In any case, how- ever, the Union, as an unendowed and voluntary society, might flourish for.ever, but the University was more dependent on the good-will of a Government. It is almost a pity that this grand occasion was not celebrated by a formal debate held as much in the old boyish style as dignitaries so great could still command. They should have-sent for Archdeacon Denison to lead off.
Previous page
