§ MR. HARWOOD (Bolton)moved that a humble address be presented to His Majesty praying him to withhold his assent from the proposed Amendment of Statute 4 of the statutes of the University of London, laid upon the Table of the House on 22nd May. He said that ten years ago a Bill passed through the House to re-constitute the University of London. On several points he felt compelled to oppose the proposal, but a sort of compromise was agreed upon. The object of that Bill was to constitute the University out of various teaching institutions in the vicinity of London, and the question was what should constitute the University. The Bill, which was passed in 1898, decided that the University should consist of the Chancellor, the existing fellows thereof for their existing lives, the senate, the graduates, and the students. The proposed change added to the constitution of the University "appointed and recognised teachers during their tenure of office"—that was to say, those who were teaching in the different colleges during the time they were recognised and appointed. He submitted that it must be borne in mind that the appointments of those teachers were transient and uncertain. The objection he had to the change was, in the first place, that it disturbed the balance of the arrangements agreed upon when the Act constituting the University was passed, and, in the second place, that it introduced a totally new idea of a University. It introduced a sort of lodger franchise. That was not in keeping with the proper idea of a University, and he did not think any other Univer-
§ sity in England would listen to such a proposal. If they desired to give the teachers a position and more prestige they could do it in other ways; but, if they became members of the University, it would follow that they would claim, and the claim could not be resisted, ultimately to become part of the Convocation, which was a body returning a Member to that House. Already they had sixteen members on the Senate. They had not qualified for the University at all, and they might cease to-morrow to be members of it. Yet they were giving them a power double that of those who had passed the degrees, and became members of the Convocation. The number on the list was about 900, but there were double qualifications; and, he believed it meant about 500 individuals. Anyone who knew anything of the Convocation of London University knew that its constituency was scattered all over the country, and it was not easy to get together a large number of the members of the Convocation because of the expense, the difficulty and the time in travelling. These teachers, however, were all within a 'bus ride of the places of meetings. They lived close to the University, and would, therefore, have a power in the Convocation quite out of proportion to their relative numbers in the body of Convocation. The change had not received the general consent of any portion of the University. Convocation had, he believed, petitioned against it, and in a vote on the question they voted against it, with the exception of four dissentients
§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORD (Liverpool, West Derby)at this point called attention to the fact that there were not forty Members present.
§ House counted; and forty Members not being present—
§ The House was adjourned at half after Eleven of the Clock tilt To-morrow.