250 ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. 



right over life and death of their own members. As they 

 lived for the- most part on foreign soil, it was necessary 

 to have their own jurisdiction, partly to protect the 

 members from the caprices of foreign judges, partly to 

 keep up that degree of respect and order, within the 

 society, which was necessary to secure the continuation 

 of the rights of hospitality on a foreign soil; and 

 partly, again, to settle disputes among the members. 

 In modern times the remains of this academic juris- 

 diction have by degrees been completely transferred 

 to the ordinary courts, or will be so transferred ; but it 

 is still necessary to maintain certain restrictions on a 

 union of strong and spirited young men, which guar- 

 antee the peace of their fellow-students and that of 

 the citizens. In cases of collision this is the object of 

 the disciplinary power of the University authorities. 

 This object, however, must be mainly attained by the 

 sense of honour of the students ; and it must be con- 

 sidered fortunate that German students have retained 

 a vivid sense of corporate union, and of what is inti- 

 mately connected therewith, a requirement of honour- 

 able behaviour in the individual. I am by no means 

 prepared to defend every individual regulation in the 

 Codex of Students' Honour; there are many Middle 

 Age remains among them which were better swept 

 away; but that can only be done by the students 

 themselves. 



