147 
O X F 
either to leave them the freedom of choice which their 
ftafutes entitled them to a flu me, or to propofe a more 
refpeftable individual for their head. James took no no¬ 
tice of this application ; fo that, when the day of eleftion 
arrived, the fellows eledted Dr. Hough for president. 
This meafure roufed the vengeance of the monarch, who 
viewed their refufal to obey his mandate as an aft border¬ 
ing on rebellion. He therefore repaired to Oxford in 
perfon, and commanded the fellows to appear before him 
at Chrift-church ; but, finding that even his own prefence 
could not influence their decifion, he expelled the whole 
of them, except tw'o, from the college. This condudt of 
the monarch excited the detellation of all friends to cool 
reafon and upright government; and in 1688, when James 
became alarmed by the preparations of the prince of 
Orange to invade his dominions, one of the firft mea- 
fures he adopted to conciliate his fubjefts, was the re- 
jnftatement of the expelled members of Magdalen-college. 
From the period of the revolution to the prefent day, 
the univerfity of Oxford has continued to flourifh in an 
unexampled degree. Its revenues have been in created, 
and the fyftem of education has generally kept pace with 
the improvements which have happily been accomplifhed 
in almoft every branch of human fcience. The doftrines 
of the fchools. Indeed, were received and taught here for 
fotne time after they had been exploded in the northern 
univerfities ; but they have now’ yielded, as in other femi- 
naries, to the more rational views of the experimental 
philofophy. For fome remarks on the (late of national 
learning during the laft century, and the peculiar fea¬ 
tures of univerfity-tuition, difcipline, and influence, fee 
University. 
The univerfity, as a corporate body, has been governed 
by ftatutes enafted at different periods, and fanftioned by 
charters granted in different reigns. Thofe at prefent 
in force were chiefly drawn up in 1620, and were con¬ 
firmed, as already mentioned, by king Charles I. in the 
year 1635. In that charter the corporation is ftyled 
“ The Chancellor, Matters, and Scholars, of the Univer¬ 
fity of Oxford ;” and this body is veiled with the power 
of framing laws for its own government. 
The principal officers of the univerfity are, the chan¬ 
cellor; the high-fteward ; the vice-chancellor ; two proc¬ 
tors ; a public orator; a keeper of the archives; a regif- 
trar; numerous public lediurers and profeflbrs ; two cu¬ 
rators of the theatre; two clerks of the market; the 
Bodleian librarian, and the keeper of the Afhmolean 
Mufeum. The firffc five mentioned officers are invefted 
with magiflerial authority, and have the power of ap¬ 
pointing deputies.—Of thefe, 
The Chancellor is chofen by the members of convoca¬ 
tion, and now holds his office for life, though formerly it 
was annual, or at molt triennial. It is a ftation of great 
dignity, and is ufually filled by a perfon of the firft emi¬ 
nence in the kingdom. The duties of the chancellor are, 
to fuperintend the interefts of the univerfity, to defend its 
privileges, and to decide, either in perfon or by deputy, 
in all civil queflions in which a member happens to be 
involved. For this purpofe he is empowered to hold re¬ 
gular courts ; he likewife prefides, if prefent, at all uni- 
verfity-meetings, and poflefies an abfolute negative on 
their proceedings. The prefent chancellor is lord Gren¬ 
ville, who was elefted in the year 1809. 
The High Steward is nominated by the chancellor, but 
mult be approved of by convocation. He holds his of¬ 
fice for life, and is bound to affift the chancellor, vice- 
chancellor, and proftors, in the execution of their feve- 
ral duties, and to fit in judgment in capital caufes, where 
a member of the univerfity, or a privileged perfon, is the 
party offending. He likewife holds the univerfity court- 
leet, either in perfon or by deputy. Lord-chancellor 
Eldon, the prefent high-fteward, was elefted in 1801. 
The Vice-Chancellor, who is always the head of fome 
college, is appointed by the chancellor, and admitted, 
and fworn, in convocation. This office is annual, but 
O R D. 
the fame individual is ufually named for four fucceffive 
years. The vice-chancellor nominates four deputies, or 
pro-vice-chancellors, who muft likewife be heads of col¬ 
leges, His duties are, to enforce the univerfity regula¬ 
tions, to call congregations, convocations, and courts, 
licenfe taverns, expel delinquents, See. The prefent vice- 
chancellor is John Cole, D.D. reftor of Exeter-college, 
appointed in 1810. 
The profeflbrs and lefturers are public officers, who 
have certain falaries allowed to them, on fome founda¬ 
tion, and who are, in confequence, required to deliver 
leftures annually, on fuch fubjefts as the founders may 
have appointed in their charters, or wills. The ledture- 
fhips at prefent in Oxford are twenty-five in number. 
The whole bufinefs of the univerfity, in its corporate 
capacity, is condufted in two feparate affemblies, called 
the Houfeof Congregation, and the Houfe of Convocation. 
The HonJ'e of Congregation is conllituted entirely of 
regents; either of neceflary regents, or regents ad pla- 
citum. Of thefe, nine at leaft, befides the vice-chancel¬ 
lor and proftors, are required to make a congregation. 
The bufinefs of this aflembly refers chiefly to the patting 
of graces and difpenfations, and to the granting of de¬ 
grees. All votes are given fecretly, by whifper in the ear 
of the proftor. 
The Houfe of Convocation, which is compofed of re¬ 
gents and non-regents alike, but with certain limitations, 
is privileged to inveftigate and determine every fubjeft 
in which the intereft of the univerfity is concerned. In 
this aflembly, laws are enadted, altered, or explained, 
without rellriftion, unlefs the flatute propofed to be al¬ 
tered be a Caroline flatute, and then the royal confent 
muft be previoully obtained. In both thefe meetings, the 
chancellor or vice-chancellor fingly, and the two proc¬ 
tors jointly, are officially empowered to negative every 
proceeding. All queflions are decided by a majority of 
votes; and all elections, except for members of parlia¬ 
ment, are condufted by a private ferutiny in writing. 
We have already noticed, that the privilege of fending 
burgeffes to parliament was granted to this univerfity by 
king James I. this was in the year 1603. The right of 
eleftion is in the doftors and aftual matters of arts, who 
are in number about 1200 ; the returning officers are the 
vice-chancellor and heads of colleges. “ The political 
principles of the members of this univerfity (fays Mr. 
Oldfield) are, with a few exceptions, thofe of toryifm. 
They have always affifted and given fhelter to royalty, 
whenever it was diftrefled by the parliament or people. 
So little are they, however, to be influenced in the choice 
of their reprefentatives, that they do not fufFer any can- 
vafs to be made, rtor either of the candidates to be, at the 
time of eleftion, within ten miles of the jurifdiftion of 
the univerfity.” The prefent members (elefted Mar. 1820) 
are—fir Wm. Scott (brother of lord Eldon) and the right 
bon. Robert Peel, eldeft fon of firR. Peel, bart. 
The feveral degrees conferred by the univerfity of Ox¬ 
ford, are thofe of Doftors of Divinity, Civil Law, Medi¬ 
cine, and Mufic; of Bachelors in thefe fciences, and of 
Matters and Bachelors of Arts. For the attainment of 
each of thefe degrees, a refidence for a certain number of 
terms is required ; but it is to be obferved, that the terms 
kept by ftudents at univerfities, vary from thofe obferved 
by our codrts of judicature, and from each other, as to 
their times of commencement and termination, though 
not in their titles.. 
It is only within thefe few years that the public exami¬ 
nations, for degrees at Oxford have been at all placed on 
that footing of fcholarlhip which they demand. The 
ftriftnefs of the new flatute has, however, been confi- 
dered, by fome well-judging perfons, to be carried to too 
great an extent; and inltances have occurred, in which 
more exaftnefs feeins to have been required than is gene¬ 
rally attainable by the youthful candidate. It is, no 
doubt, a molt difficult and delicate point, to hit the pre- 
ciie medium of pumper inquiry into the attainments of the 
early 
