HC Deb 07 May 1834 vol 23 cc747-8
Mr. Hughes Hughes

said, that, at that late hour of the night, he would only state his reason for submitting to the House the Motion of which he had given notice, that certain unfounded remarks had been made on occasion of the right hon. Secretary for the Treasury on making his recent Motion for a grant to defray the charge of Salaries and Allowances to certain Professors in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. His object was, to show, by means of a return, that the vote annually made on this account in each of the last three years, bore no comparison to the amount received from the Universities for Duty paid during the same period, on the Admission or Matriculation of Members on the Grant of Degrees, and on Testimonials or Certificates of Admission to Degrees; and that, therefore, in a pecuniary point of view, as well as in so many other respects, the country was indebted to the Universities, and not the Universities to the public. He moved, that there be laid before the House a return, showing the amount of the grant made by Parliament in each of the last three years, to defray the charge of salaries and allowances to certain professors in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the manner of its appropriation, the number of Members admitted to, and of degrees granted by, each of those Universities, and also of testimonials or certificates of admission to degrees given, during the same period; distinguishing each year, and each class of degree, the amount of duty payable respectively on the admission or matriculation of members, and on the grant of each class of degree, and also on testimonials or certificates of admission to degrees; and the aggregate amount of duty so respectively paid in each of the three years ending 31st December last.

Mr. Spring Rice

objected to the first part of the Motion; such a return being already before the House, the expense of reprinting it should be avoided.

Mr. Hughes Hughes

said, that the part of his Motion to which the right hon. Secretary had thought fit to object would scarcely add ten lines to the length of the return, and he had wished to have placed the receipts and payments in juxta-position, but if the right hon. Gentleman persisted in his objection, he must, of course, agree to strike out the first three lines of his Motion.

Motion, as altered, agreed to.