8 JULY 1848, Page 6

Vie Vrobinces.

This has been the Commemoration week at Oxford. Our space allows little more than to name the successful prize candidates and the receivers of honorary degrees. The Convocation was held on Wednesday; the prizemen were as follow— Chancellor's Prize' : Latin .Verse--" Tribus Astronimicus," Mr. R. F. Hessey, Demy of Magdalen College. English Essay—" Respective Effects of the Fine Arts and Mechanical Skill on National Character," Mr. John Conington, B.A., Fellow. of University College. Latin Essay —" Quasnam prsecipue fuerint in cause, car gentes mercatura florentissirate nusquara dintumnas extiterint," Mr. Thomas French, BA., Scholar of University College. Sir Roger Netodegate's Prize: English Verse—" Columbus in Chains," Xs Charles Bleckstone, Scholar of Corpus Christi College. The honorary degree of Doctor in Civil Law was conferred on—

The Earl of Harrowby ; Baron Hugel; the Right Honourable Sir George Arthur, Bart.; the Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone M.P. for this University; Sir Charles Gould Morgan, Bare; John Masterman, ism, M.P... Henry Hallam, Esq., the historian; William Cotton; and Austen Henry Layard, attached to her Majesty's Embassy at Constantinople.

A storm of " non-placets " was raised against Mr. Gladstone's degree, but it was not formally opposed. The students received the Queen's name with a compliment-never before paid to it—they unanimously accompanied the organ in the performance of the national anthem.

M. Guizot and his son and two daughters were present; and everywhere received with distinction and kindness.

[Some dissatisfaction has been caused by the attempts at Oxford to pay marked honours to M. Guizot. A newly-appointed chair of Modern Languages was destined for him; but judicious friends induced him to " decline " the honour. A degree was next contemplated; but even that was waived. And the desire to distinguish him was forced to find a vent in noisy plaudits. M. Guizot is probably the greatest lecturer in Europe; and there may have been some travelled members of Convocation who, regarding him as entirely divorced from politics, sincerely wished to pay homage only to the man of learning. But the obvious and paramount motive with the Oxford herd was, forsooth, to manifest discontent at the Republicanism in France, by honouring its last antagonist. Old Toryism still lingers at Oxford. But this attempt at unqualified expression has produced a corresponding reaction: many stanch Conservatives are moved to displeasure by a step so indecorous and foolish; hence the failure of the attempt. The feeling that prompted it, BO far from being national, can scarcely be called local: it is the sentiment of an expiring clique.] Government are raising sea fencibles on this coast. It is expected that this town will furnish about 300. They will be exercised, as formerly, ten days in the coarse of the year, and be paid 2s. a day. Our young fishermen eagerly enrol themselves as in the event of war it would guarantee them against impressment.—Brighton Herald.

The Mars, of 82 guns, was launched at Chatham on Saturday, in the presence of the Lords of the Admiralty, with some distinguished visitors, and an immense concourse of general spectators. The christening was performed by Miss Hood, granddaughter of Sir Alexander Hood, who commanded the Mars in 1798, and fell in action while engaged with the French ship Hercules, off the Penmarks. Among the visiters accompanying the Lords of the Admiralty, were the Prince de Joinville, M. Guizot, the Count de Jarnac, and Mr. Bancroft.

At a late workhouse disturbance at Norwich, Policeman Callow was so mauled on the head with stones thrown by a mob, that he has since died. A Coroner's Jury has returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown."

Two men have been killed at Ince Hall Colliery, near Wigan, by the snapping of the rope as they were ascending a shaft of great depth.

Three men have been killed on the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, at Guide Bridge station, near Ashton, by the falling of the abutmentwall a a bridge recently erected in place of a short tunnel. The brick-work gave way while a number of workmen were engaged near it; but only three were covered by the ruins. A middle-aged lady, whose name is unknown, has thrown herself out of a train on the Bury St. Edmand's Railway, near Witham. The train was at full speed. The lady, bruised and insensible, was carried to the workhouse; where the surgeon pronounced her to be in danger. It is supposed that she was insane.

Another man has died from wounds caused by the boiler-explosion at Tipton.

The steam-tug Neptune, of North Shields, burst a boiler last week : Benjamin Baxter, the master, WRS scalded to death; and William Robson, the fireman, was almost killed in the same way. The Neptune had been racing to secure the towing of a vessel, and had just gained her prize, about six miles to seaward, when the accident occurred.