i860.] OXFORD, 247 



his testimony that, in New York and elsewhere, there was a 

 class of children practically shut out from the free public 

 schools; and by his experience in Warrington (p. 138). "At 

 two o'clock, a convocation was held in the Theatre to give 

 degrees to four celebrities, our present and former Presidents 

 — Lords Wrottesley and Rosse, the Swiss ambassador [?], and 

 Professor Sedgwick. . . . Sedgwick came last, but received ten 

 times more clapping than all the rest put together. ... At the 

 first Oxford meeting, while Dissenters were still excluded from 

 the university, my father saw the D.C.L. conferred on Quaker 

 Dalton: then a noble recognition of Science and 6 Dissent' from 

 the old Tory, Church, and classical Oxford." In the evening 

 he went with his sister to a soiree in the New Museum. " Mr. 

 Senior, who seemed most anxious to introduce her, is a most 

 important person to her work, as he pretty well understands 

 her objects, has the most gentlemanly and true politeness, 

 and his judgment is so much relied on, that he is generally 

 put by Government on useful commissions. He brought us 

 an invitation to breakfast at the Vice-Chancellor's next morn- 

 ing, an honour greatly coveted \ but M. C. could not go, being 

 pre-engaged to a semi-public Priestley-statue breakfast. This 

 statue originated in an old pupil of my father's [Mr. Kent 

 Kingdon]. Passing through Oxford, he saw in the Museum, 

 then building, the statue-niches with the names in pencil, 

 selected by the University, ready for statues if any one chose 

 to give them. The Queen gave ^5 : he at once offered ^50, 

 and organised a committee ; but so much more money streamed 

 in than was wanted, that they were obliged to limit their sub- 

 scriptions to small sums. ... Sir B. Brodie took the chair; 

 the speaking was very good, and the party much larger than 

 had been expected. . . ." 



At the Vice-Chancellor's breakfast, " I was charmed to find 

 that it was no party ; only those named, Lord Wrottesley, and 

 the ladies of the families. ... I was not able to learn as much 

 as I wanted, because they pumped me about American Govern- 

 ment and society ; but I walked to committee with Mr. Senior, 

 and got from him the information I wanted for our Warrington 

 schools. 



