Vtuniurts.

The great annual " breaking-up " of the Oxford University, the Com- memoration, has been celebrated this week ; the Earl of Derby has been installed ; and the chief members of the late Administration have re- ceived the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law. Properly speaking, the annual show begins on Sunday, when all the visitors and members of the University and a large concourse of citizens assemble for the even- ing promenade in the Broad Walk. This is followed by the "boat show " on Monday. The racing-boats, twenty-eight in number headed by the victor of the season, Brasenose, pass in procession ; each boat's crew sa- luting the winning boat by throwing up the oars. Then, on Tuesday, Lord Derhy was installed in the office of Chancellor of the University— the great event of the week.

Early in the morning, the doors of the Theatre were opened, and the excited throng of under-graduates rushed in to gain the gallery, whence they noisily participate in the proceedings. The rest of the Theatre is filled with ladies, Masters of Arts, and strangers. Before the ceremonies of the day commence, the gentlemen in the gallery indulge in expressions of their political dislike and affection ; and in this way the cries of " Dis- raeli," "Gladstone," "Cardwell," "The Queen's last Baby," "Lord Derby," "Prince Albert," "Mrs. Louis Napoleon," elicited loud cheers; while " Richard Cobden," " Friend Bright," " Louis Napoleon," "Lord John Russell," and others, were received with hooting, yelling, and hissing. Meanwhile, a procession arrived at the Theatre : it had been formed at Worcester College, and consisted of the Chancellor, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Vice-Chancellor, the Heads of Houses, the noblemen members of the University, the Bishops of Oxford, Exeter, London, Lincoln, St. Asaph, Salisbury, Chi- chester, St. Andrews, Quebec, Montreal, Ohio, and Nova Scotia, the Doctors of Divinity, Law, Physic, the Proctors, and Masters of Arts. The day was very fine, and the procession splendid. On the entrance of the procession the whole assembly rose and cheered. After Lord Derby had taken his seat, the names of the candidates for degrees were read over, and the cry of " placet " intermingled faintly with "non placet" followed each name. The Bedels then went to the Divinity School, and the long array of gentlemen who had been honoured entered in proces- sion, saluted by cheers from the noisy young gentlemen in the gallery.

It is specially remarked, that in nominating the new Doctors Lord Derby spoke Latin with felicity and correctness. In mentioning his son, he introduced the words " filius meus dilectissimus."

This ceremony concluded, the Public Orator delivered the Creweian oration ; followed by the prize English essay, and compositions in honour of the newly-installed Chancellor, written by members of various Colleges.

In the afternoon there was a flower show in Worcester Gardens, and a levee held by the Chancellor in the Taylor Institution ; and in the even- ing the Vice-Chancellor gave a grand dinner.

The dinner at Worcester College gave opportunity for a response to "the health of our honoured guest, the Earl of Derby, Chancellor of our University." One or two points in Lord Derby's speech were of general interest. He described himself as not warmly attached to either of those extremes which weaken and divide our venerated Church ; and he thought a knowledge of that had led to his election. On the question of University reform, after a qualified reference to the Commission, he thus expressed himself- " Whatever might be the opinions entertained by the University with re- gard to the specific recommendations.: contained in that commission, they are now impartially, deliberately, and industriously examining the whole sub- ject matter of academic discipline and studies, considering the recommenda- tions and statements of the Commissioners, prepared to adopt that which in their honest and conscientious judgment they believed to be for the benefit of the University, anxious to meet public opinion by such changes as their own honest convictions might satisfy them would be beneficial, and equally prepared—and he could not blame them for it, nay, he was ready cordially to support them in doing it—to resist any alterations which may be pressed upon them, and which they do not themselves believe to be for the perma- nent interests of those who are committed to their charge." (Loud cheers.)

In the evening, Lord and Lady Derby, and Lord Stanley, attended the " Installation ball." Next day there was a concert at the Theatre, and a banquet at Christ Church to the Chancellor in the evening.

Wednesday was distinguished by a grand dinner and a grand ball. The dinner was given by Christchurch College in honour of the Chan- cellor, formerly a Christchurch man; and most of his personal friends in Oxford attended. Mr. Gladstone, also a Christchurch man, was present, and was greeted with distinguished marks of favour. The under-gra- duates were not admitted to the banquet; so, it is stated, they assembled in " Tom Quad," and saluted Mr. Disraeli with uproarious cheers as ho left the convivialities of Wolsey's Hall. The ball, given by the fraternity of Freemasons, was very splendid ; the Town-hall being decorated most ex- pensively, and the brethren bedizened in all their jewelled paraphernalia. The Theatre was again the scene of musical and poetical triumphs on Thursday. Many celebrities were admitted to the honorary degree ; the Installation ode, written by Professor Claughton, and set to music by Sir

Henry Bishop, was sung ; and the " Newdigate" prize poem, " On the Ruins of Egyptian Thebes," was recited by the author, Mr. Reynolds of Exeter College. In the evening, Lord Derby dined at Pembroke Col- lege; and the second Installation ball was given in the. Town-hall.

On his way to Oxford on Monday, Lord Derby alighted at the Abing- don Road station, and proceeded to assist at the opening, by the Bishop of Oxford, of the Diocesan School for Training Parochial Schoolmasters, at Culham. This school is intended to accommodate one hundred and thirty students. The Head Master and Principal is the Reverend Mr. Ashworth. About a thousand persons assembled, including the Bishops of Chichester, Salisbury, St. Asaph's, Montreal, Cape Town, and Nova Scotia, Lord Hardwicke, Lord Stanley, and Mr. Walpole. The proceed- ings were commenced by the Bishop of Oxford ; who, prefacing the act by a brief speech on the duties of the post he was about to fill, handed the keys of the school to Mr. Ashworth. Lord Derby then addressed the company ; dilating at great length, with his customary fluency, on the progress of science and the necessity for combining religious with secular instruction. The early part of his oration consisted of admirably spoken commonplaces,—such as the ridicule and distrust attending the introduc- tion of gas, steam, electricity ; but he separated the increase and spread of science from education, regarding the former as a Frankenstein when unsanctified by religion. Perhaps the most effective passage in his speech was one describing the consequences of the apathy respecting education which prevailed in all classes a short time ago. "With the growth of our manufacturing and commercial system the great towns began to rise into importance, and a population was brought together having many opportunities of comparing mind with mind, of discussing and of reasoning—shrewd, hard-headed, hard-working, intelligent workmen, anxious to put themselves forward in life, having outgrown the powers of the parochial system, and having consequently in their ignorance of spiritual things, little desire except of obtaining for themselves and their children that amount of knowledge which they saw was essential, but a knowledge confined only to that which would advance them in the ordinary concerns of their daily life. There arose also in the towns an inferior class—a class la- bouring for their daily bread, or perhaps earning it in a less creditable man- ner, but having little forethought, and little care except for gratifying the selfish instincts and animal wants of our nature, and too prone to be led away by the vicious gratifications of sensuality, and fall into brutal excesses when an opportunity presented itself of indulging in them. God forbid I should say that this is a correct general picture of the manufacturing towns, of the great industrial and commercial communities of this country ; still more, God forbid I should say that it is a correct description of the rural po- pulation of this great empire, though I fear that, both in the great towns and in the rural districts, there are too many of our population who answer to the description I have given, and who are an eating plague and cancer in our social system. Against the evils of ignorance the country is roused and excited ; but I doubt whether the country is equally sensible of a danger which I hold to be not less than that of brutal ignorance—I mean the danger of instructed and enlightened infidelity ; and it is against both these that, if we would save our common country from the inevitable consequences of two such concurrent plagues—it is against these that the efforts are to be directed of all who know that the virtue and knowledge as well as the morals of a people are the surest safeguard of its welfare, and that without it no country can prosper, and no country, in the presence of God, can hope to prosper." He also spoke eloquently on the most appropriate topic of the day— the improvement of the character and standing of the schoolmaster. Lord Derby subscribed 1001. towards the institution. The Bishop of Oxford thanked him for his admirable address.

The representation of Stroud becomes vacant by the accession of Lord Moreton to the title of Earl of Ducie and a seat in the House of Lords. There are two candidates in the field at present—Mr. Horsman, supported by the united Liberal party ; and Mr. Merryweather Turner.

The camp at Chobham was inspected by Lord Hardinge on Monday. Lord Seaton, the Commander of the camp, met him on the ground and accompanied him through the works. After visiting the cavalry stables and the artillery stables, inspecting the lines, and going over the ground, Lord Hardinge expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements and with the progress which had been made. The best understanding exists between the soldiers and the country-people. Some 2000 persons visited Chobham on Monday. The Queen's pavilion has been taken out of store at Woolwich and set up on Greenhill. It has not been used since Queen Charlotte's visit; but it is now intended to put it in good repair and raise it at Chobham for the use of her Majesty and Prince Albert. The pavilion is sixty feet long, by fifteen broad. It does not appear that the disputes between the Horse Guards and Lord Seaton and the parish authorities and Lord Onslow have been set- tled. It was proposed to erect booths for refreshment—public-houses under canvass ; but Lord Seaton declared that he would arrest any per- sons setting up such booths within certain limits. It is said that Lord Onslow took up the quarrel on behalf of the parish ; with what result remains to be seen. Then there is the dispute about the damage done by the camp to the interests of the copyholders; also, we believe, unsettled.

The wages movement has not yet ceased in Liverpool. The cotton-porters have struck : they demand 48. a day in place of 38. 6d., with the con- dition also that none but members of the Cotton Porters' Association shall be employed. The merchants are very averse from the second demand, though most would grant the first. The dock-labourers, 5000 strong, have also turned out. These strikes have put a stop to the cotton ship- ping-trade.

A petition of the Liverpool letter-carriers for an advance of wages— they now receive a pound a week—has met with a prompt repulse from the Postmaster-General ; who warns the men that if they should resign in a body, though temporary inconvenience and expense may result, the old letter-carriers shall receive no benefit from any new arrangements.

There is a novel movement among the cotton-spinners of Lancashire— masters and men of Manchester, Bolton, Newton, and other places, are urging the spinners of Glossop Dale, on the borders of Derbyshire, to make their employers reduce the hours of work ; and the Glossop working men are to be backed, if necessary, with the pecuniary resources of the masters in other districts. It seems that in the Manchester district the operatives work only ten hours, while recently the wages have been raised. The manufacturers of Glossop have worked their hands fourteen hours a day, and have thus been enabled to undersell their rivals on the Manchester

Exchange: hence the strange combination against them. On Saturday, between two and three thousand spinners proceeded by rail to Glossop, and called a meeting of the Glossop men ; who passed resolutions pledging themselves to work only ten hours and a half daily from last Monday.

An indiscriminate poisoning has been attempted at Belper : six persons took the poison, and one of them has died. After the family of a working man named Flewitt had eaten of a rice-pudding, on Thursday week, they were seized with sickness. Flewitt, his wife, three children, and a young men named Sheldon, were all affected. Medical aid was obtained, and five of the six recovered, but Mrs. Flewitt died on Friday evening. The matter appeared very mysterious, but it was supposed that the poison had been inured with the sugar that was eaten with the rice-pudding. Preliminary inquiries led to the arrest of Sheldon. He is a fellow workman with Flewitt ; he wanted to pay his addresses to one of Flewitt's daughters, but the fathgr refused his consent ; it is said that Sheldon then threatened that he would " do away with himself and them too." Last week he made inquiries about poison ; on the Thursday morning he went alone to the place where the sugar was kept.

After William Flack, a young labourer, had been apprehended for the murder of Mrs. Steggles, the housekeeper of the Reverend Mr. Barker, at Becton, the mother of the accused, his brother, and sister, were arrested as accessories after the fact. At the final examination of William before the Magistrates, on Saturday, his relatives were liberated, -and were called as witnesses against him. The sister gave such unsatisfactory replies that the Police said they should again take her into custody. The general current of the evidence on Saturday was adverse to the prisoner, though still en- tirely circumstantial. He was committed for trial.

A boy only twelve years of age committed suicide at Rockbeare in Devon- shire. He was found hanging to an elm in the field where he had been working. Nothing peculiar had been noticed in the boy's manner. A few months ago his brother hanged himself in the same way, and this probably had a morbid effect on his mind.

Desperate courage and resolve have not been manifested more shockingly of late than in a suicide committed at an inn in Dartford, by Mr. Calmer, manager at Messrs. Saunders and Otley's, the publishers in Conduit Street. He discharged a pistol into his head, but the bullet was not fatal; then he seems to have attempted to fire another pistol, but the cap was off; and finally he nearly severed his head from the body with a razor. The unfor- tunate man had recently been greatly excited by domestic troubles, which were the only apparent cause for his insane act.