The usual yearly dinner to the outgoing Mayor of Oxford
gave Mr. Cardwell an opportunity of meeting his constituents on Thursday. Mr. Langston, the other Oxford Member, was absent, from ill health. The Earl of Abingdon was also a conspicuous guest. Mr. Cardwell, in speaking of next session, mentioned retrenchment of expenditure, and Law-reform. We are about to have a shot once more at the Ecclesiastical Courts, and he hoped they would hit the mark this time. There would be questions arising out of the state of the criminal law in its relations to fraud, and damage to life and property, and its relation to juvenile offenders. He rejoiced to hear it stated that a question of Free-trade would be raised in the next session of Parliament. There are two things essential to the free- dom of industry,—namely, land and labour ; and freedom of labour, which is a difficult question, has attracted the attention of Parliament. The freedom of land and the facility of transfer is of the utmost im- portance; and he trusted it would be considered with.advantage and ef- fect, for nothing is more likely to render a people loyal and industrious than a change of that kind, which he hoped to see effected.
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