CAMBRIDGE. 



345 



is a body corporate, and bound by its own statutes; 

 but they are all subject to the paramount laws of 

 the university. Each college furnishes members 

 both for the executive and legislative branches of 

 the government. The legislative branch of the 

 government consists of the two divisions of the 

 senate, and a council called the Caput. The senate 

 consists of all who are masters of arts, or doctors 

 in either of the three faculties, divinity, civil law, 

 or physic, having their names on the college boards, 

 holding any office in the university, or being resi- 

 dent in the town of Cambridge. They generally 

 number about two thousand. They are divided 

 into two classes, called the regents and the non- 

 regents. The regents, or members of the upper 

 house, or white-hood house, as it is called from the 

 members wearing hoods lined with white silk, are 

 masters of arts of less than five years' standing, 

 and doctors of less than two. The non-regent or 

 lower house, called also the black-hood house, from 

 the members wearing black silk hoods, includes all 

 the rest. But doctors of more than two years' 

 standing, and the public orator of the university, 

 may vote in either house. 



The council, called the caput, consists of the 

 vice-chancellor, a doctor in each of the faculties, 

 divinity, civil law, and physic, and two masters of 

 arts to represent the regent and non-regent houses. 

 The vice-chancellor is a member of the caput, by 

 virtue of his office. The other members of this 

 council are chosen as follows. The vice-chancel- 

 lor and the two proctors nominate severally five 

 persons ; and out of these fifteen, the heads of col- 

 leges, doctors, and scrutators elect five, commonly 

 honouring the vice-chancellor's list with the ap- 

 pointment. Every proposition of a university law, 

 or grace, must be approved by the caput, every 

 member having a negative voice, before it can be 

 presented to the consideration of the two houses of 

 the senate. 



Meetings for the transaction of university busi- 

 ness, called congregations, are held about once a 

 fortnight, and a list of the days of such meetings is 

 published by the vice-chancellor at the beginning of 

 each term. The vice-chancellor may call the senate 

 together for the despatch of extraordinary affairs, 

 at other times, by causing a printed notice, specify- 

 ing the business, to be hung up in the halls of the 

 several colleges, three days before the time of as- 

 sembly. Any number of the senate, not less than 

 twenty-five, including the proper officers, consti- 

 tute a quorum, and may proceed to business. Be- 

 sides these meetings, there are others called statu- 

 table congregations, or days of assembly enjoined 

 by the statutes, for the ordinary routine of univer- 

 sity affairs, such as conferring degrees, electing 

 officers, &c., for which no special notice is requir- 

 ed. A congregation may also be held without 

 three days' notice, provided forty members of the 

 senate be present. Every member has a right to 

 bring any proposition or grace before the senate, if 

 it has been previously approved by the caput. 

 When it has passed the caput, it is read in the non- 

 regent house by one of the scrutators, and in the 

 regent house by the senior proctor. It is read in 

 like manner at the second congregation. If a won 

 placet is put in by a member of the non-regent 

 house, the vote is then taken. If the number of 

 non placets equals or exceeds the number of placets, 

 the grace is thrown out. If the placets are more 

 than the non placets, it is carried up to the regent 

 house, and there undergoes the same process. If 



it passes through both houses, it is considered a 

 regular act of the senate, and if the subject be of 

 a public nature, it becomes a statute. No degree 

 is conferred without a grace, which passes through 

 the process above described. A grace of this kind 

 is called a supplicat. Those for bachelor of arts, 

 honorary degrees, and masters of arts of king's 

 college, require to be read at one congregation only. 



The executive of the university consists of the 

 following officers: 



The chancellor. This officer is the head of the 

 university, and has sole authority within the pre- 

 cincts, except in cases of mayhem and felony. He 

 seals the diplomas and letters of degrees, &c., 

 given by the university, defends its rights and pri- 

 vileges, convokes assemblies, and administers jus- 

 tice to the members under his jurisdiction. 



The high steward, who has the power of trying 

 scholars impeached of felony within the limits of 

 the university, and to hold and keep a leet accord- 

 ing to the established charter and custom. He ap- 

 points a deputy by letters patent, which are con- 

 firmed by a grace of the senate. 



The vice-chancellor. This officer is elected 

 annually by the senate, on the 4th of November, 

 and, as his title indicates, has the power of the 

 chancellor, in the government of the university, 

 and the execution of the statutes, when the chan- 

 cellor is absent. He is required, by an order made 

 in 1587, to be the head of some college ; and he 

 acts as a magistrate for the university and county. 



The commissary is an officer under the chancel- 

 lor, and holds a court of record for all privileged 

 persons and scholars under the degree of M.A. for 

 the trial of causes by the civil and statute law, and 

 by the custom of the university. 



The public orator writes, reads, and records 

 the letters to and from the body of the senate, and 

 presents to all honorary degrees, with an appro- 

 priate speech. 



The assessor is an officer specially appointed by 

 grace of the senate, to assist the vice-chancellor in 

 causis forensibus et domesticis. 



The two proctors are peace officers, annually 

 elected. They must be masters of arts, of at least 

 two years' standing, and are regents by virtue of 

 their office. Their duty is to watch over the dis- 

 cipline of all persons in statu pupillari, to search 

 houses of ill fame, and take into custody loose and 

 abandoned or supeoted women. They are also re- 

 quired to be present at all congregations of the 

 senate, to stand in scrutiny with the chancellor or 

 vice-chancellor, to take the suffrages of the house, 

 both by word and writing, to read them and declare 

 the assent or dissent accordingly, to read the graces 

 in the regent house, to take secretly the assent or 

 dissent, and openly to pronounce the same. 



The librarian's duties are designated by his title. 

 The registrary is required, either by himself or 

 deputy, to attend all congregations, to direct the 

 form of the graces to be propounded, and to enter 

 them on the university records, when they have 

 passed both houses. He also registers the seniority 

 of such as proceed annually in any of the arts and 

 faculties, according to the schedules furnished him 

 by the proctors. The two taxors are misters of 

 arts, and regents by virtue of their office. They 

 regulate the markets, and examine the assize of 

 bread, the lawfulness of weights and measures, and 

 call the abuses thereof into the commissary's court. 

 The scrutators are non-regents. Their duty is to 

 attend all congregations, to read the graces in the 



