, (5t Vrouitars.
The Oxford Commemoration is alway.s a glad and sometimes a remark- able anniversary. The air of restraint in the fine old University passes perceptibly away, and the feelings of men find free vent. The promenade in the Broad Walk on Sunday is the first sign of something unusual about the place ; and the showy boating on Monday, when youth has fairly put on holiday attire, without and within, fairly carries you beyond the rigid line of academic discipline. Then come scientific soirees, masonic and other balls, concerts, and funny the great "breaking-up" exhibition on Wednesday in the Theatre, and the conferring of honorary degrees. This year the usual ceremonies have been improved. On Tuesday -night; the magnates of the place, and many of the distinguished who `wire to receive honours next day, assembled in the Radcliffe Library to 'hear an addrees from Lord Derby, the Chancellor. Standing on a platform, the eloquent Chancellor spoke for an hour to enforce upon the dignitaries gathered around him the benefits that will attend the intro- duction. of the physical sciences into the curriculum of the University. _This, he said, is a utilitarian age. Things are measured by their effects. Men have fixed their attention on the fields of natural science, for in them the greatest triumphs have been won. It will not do for Oxford to ignore these studies; for if it do so, a separation will ensue between the University and the great middle class, now rapidly acquiring political power ; and the clergy cannot expect to be looked up to if they know not those things which interest the great bulk of their flocks. This theme grew naturally out of a dissertation on the new Museum of Natural His- tory about to be built at Oxford. Lord Derby mentioned that the Queen had desired him to state that she would contribute five statues for its adornment—namely, those of Bacon, Galileo, Leibnitz, Newton, and Oersted ; and stated that the under-graduates have subscribed 1604 -for two statues. Lord Derby himself promised 100/. for the general orna- mentation-of the building.' From the Library the company went to the masonic ball in the Town-hall.
The wale on Wednesday in the Sheldonian Theatre did not differ much from. the hundreds that have gone before. The under-graduates asserted &air noisy inivilegeis, and praised and censured with their accustomed facility. Mr. Alfred Tennyson and Sir De Lacy. Evans were the prime favourites of the day; next came General Pelissier, Lord Raglan, Gene- ral Burgoyne, Miss Nightingale, and Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman elicited repeated cheering; while Russia and the Senior Proctor were the objects of popular execration or disparagement. Honorary degrees were conferred on Mr. Buchanan, the American Minister, Count Montalembert, Sir J. B. Robinson, Chief Justice of Upper Canada, Sir John Burgoyne, Sir De Lacy Evans, Sir William Gore Ouseley, Mr. Monek-ton Milnes, Co- lonel Sabine, Mr. Thomas Graham, of the Royal Mint, Dr. Humphrey Lloyd, of Trinity College, Dublin, Mr. Duncan, lite keeper of the Ash- molean Museum, Mr. F. W. Hope, donor of the Entomological collec- tion, Mr. AlfreiTennyson, Professor Stokes of Cambridge, Mr. Adams, the astronomer, and Mr. John Muir. After this ceremony, Mr. White, of New College, read the Latin essay ; Mr. Robinson Ellis, of Bailie], the Latin poem; Mr. G. Broderick, of Merton, the English essay ; and Mr. Osborn, of St. John's, the Newdigate poem.
in -the afternoon, Lord Derby laid the foundation-stone of the new Mee= in the ground known as "the Parka."
• Lithe Convocation of the University of Oxford, sitting on Tuesday, adopted by 45 to 10 a petition against all the educational measures now hefore the House of Commons. Mr. Gibson's plan of secular instruction without doctrinal teaching they deprecate in the most earnest manner. Sir John Pakington'a scheme does not find more favour in their eyes. Some provisions of the bills contain the seeds of great evil,—" questions raised concerning the conflicting claims of different creeds in given &s- tride opening new sources of strife and dissension ; the control and ma- nagement of schools confided to councils and vestries ill adapted to such duties; • the probability of great injustice if, at the will of a majority of the trustees, existing schools may be transferred to other him& or ern- -playa upon other prineiples than those which the founders designed " ; au4 neglect of the parochial economy of the Church of England. The Convocation give in their adhesion to the present system.
Sheffield pronounced a second time in favour of Administrative Reform on Wednesday ; the Mayor presiding at the meeting. It is remarkable that the meeting rejected an amendment upon the old London resolu- tions, declaring in favour of en extension of the suffrage. Has Sheffield ceased to be Radical ?
At Sheffield also there is a committee for investigating foreign affairs, in which Mr. Isaac Ironside takes a prominent part. This Committee met" on Tuesday, and, at Mr. Ironside's request, agreed that Mr. Roebuck should be asked to move a vote of censure on the Government for as- senting to the protocol which deprives the Danubian Principalities of the right of managing their own affairs and for a Select Committee to in-
quire into the Baltic expedition of affairs; year! • •
Cheadle, near Stockport, has a large Nonconformist population, and shelters many churchgoers who attend public worship in Stockport itself. An attempt to levy a church-rate from these persons has recently failed. At meeting of the Vestry, they carried by a large majority an amend- ment to adjourn, on a motion to make a rate. The stoker of a coal-train on the Midland Railway has been crushed to death by another train running into his, near Loughborough. The driver of the second train is in custody : it is alleged that he neglected signals.
Messrs. James Heywood and Co., a firm carrying on many large establish- men ta—iron-works at Derby and at Stanton, the colliery at Ilkeston, and stone-quarries at Hopton—stopped payment lag week. It is hoped, for the sake of the bead of the house, who is much respected, and the hundreds of workpeople employed, that means may be devised for carrying on the business.
Birmingham sends bad news—four more failures in the iron trade of the district : Messrs. Whitehouse and Jefferies of West Bromwich, Mr. Jefferies of Hart's Hill Works, Messrs. Hickman of Billiton, and Mr. Joseph Spencer, have stopped or been compelled to ask indulgence from creditors. The amount of liabilities is large.
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