LETTERS TO TIIE EDITOR.
VIVISECTION IN OXFORD.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—I trust you will allow me, as a still older and equally loyal member of the University of Oxford, to add a word of practical warning and counsel in regard to the deplorable vote for 210,000 endowment of Dr. Burden Sanderson's new torture- chamber—for every laboratory where vivisection is practised is a torture-chamber—snatched last Tuesday by a majority of three in Convocation. I do not write to supplant, still less to con- trovert, the letter of my relative, Mr. Frank Oxenham, in your impression of to-day, with every word of which I heartily con- cur ; but in order to point out, to those whom it may concern, the plain and obvious explanation of the bare victory then scored by the Vivisectionists, which is a very simple one. In political contests at Oxford—which are always, however, matters of public notoriety beforehand—every single voter on the Roll of Con- vocation, on either side, is sure to be actively canvassed, and may think himself lucky if be does not get a dozen letters, instead of one. In this case, where there was, of course, no such previous notoriety, there must have been either no canvassing, or, at best, a very inadequate one. I myself, for instance, who for some ten years past have taken an active part in the anti- vivisection movement, and was, till my retirement, two years ago, on the Executive Committee of the International Associa- tion, was left to learn for the first time that such a contest was imminent by learning that it was over, when on Wednesday morning I read, with mingled feelings of indig- nation and disgust, the report of the proceedings in Con- vocation in my Times. Had I known of it, I should have felt it my duty to travel, if necessary, all across England to vote, if not also to speak, against a measure which I cannot but regard as a deep dishonour to the University, as well as a very grave practical evil. And if I received no previous notice, who am personally known to several members of the Victoria-Street Committee, it is not an extreme assumption that at least three more M.A.'s, like-minded with myself, whose votes with mine would have turned the scales, were left in the same ignorance.
Most sincerely indeed do I trust that some opportunity may yet be given of rescinding the unhappy vote of Tuesday last. But in my case, it is surely not too much to ask that, whenever any similar occasion occurs, those engaged in organising the opposition shall make a rather better use of their Oxford Calendar, and take care that every single member of Convocation
not known to be hostile (whose address is accessible) shall be written to beforehand. It is abundantly clear that, had this simple role been followed in this case, the defeat would have been turned into a victory.—I am, Sir, &c., New University Club, June 9th. H. N. OXENHAM.
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