In the Cambridge Senate House on Tuesday week it was
pro- posed to confer the honorary degree of LL.D. on the Dean of Westminster, on occasion of the Prince of Wales's visit to the University, but for his literary, not for his theological attainments, so say our religious contemporaries, and no opposition was expected. Some members of the Senate, however, "conscien- tiously felt that some protest against Dr. Stanley's published views was called for upon the occasion." When the grace was proposed a High-Church member roared out non placet, and the poll being taken there appeared—p/seets, 120; non placets, 19. The religious newspapers inform us that the 19 would have been swollen into a large majority if a contest had been expected, abd that it was "very wrong of Dr. Stanley's friends to force this unpleasant conflict upon the University,"—one of the quaintest instances of inverting the responsibility of a petty and bigoted opposition which we remember to have heard of. Dr. Stanley, we imagine, must have declined the contested honour, as the honorary LL.D. was not conferred amongst those given on occasion of the Prince's visit. The Dean of Westminster can well spare the honour, but the University of Cambridge must feel bitterly towards the 19. If Dr. Stanley's health were proposed in the presence of the 19, we have no doubt they would have opposed it on as much principle as this Doctor of Law's degree.
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