The Conservative dinner for entrapping undergraduates into the party of
Lord Robert Cecil, and alienating them from Mr. Glad- stone, has led to a short passage of arms between the Chancellor of the University (Lord Derby) and the Professor of Latin, Mr. Conington. The latter complains that his Lordship,—who, for his own part, is very careful not to confound his capacity as Conser- vative leader and as Chancellor of the University, —had permitted Dr. Wynter, the President of St. John's, and private Secretary to the Chancellor, but paid for his secretariat duties by the Univer- sity, to respond, without rebuke, to the toast of the Conservative leader's health at the Conservative banquet alluded to as his natural representative. Lord Derby replied in his usual tone of somewhat arrogant hauteur that his private secretary had a perfect right to express freely his political sentiments. Professor Coning- ton rejoins that Dr. Wynter, as an officer paid by the University, represents his Lordship in his non-political character, and that he did not see how that gentleman could properly rise as his Lordship's non-political representative to acknowledge a politi- cal toast without involving his Lordship in a confusion between the two capacities, which he is so anxious to keep distinct. The matter would be a trifle, but that every proper opportunity should be taken to put down this indecent attempt of the Oxford Conservatives to turn University influence to political account with the under- graduates.
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