§ EARL DE GREY AND RIPON, moved the second reading of the Bill. By the Act for the better Government of the University of Oxford, the Commissioners then appointed were empowered, under certain circumstances, to frame such Ordinances and Regulations as they might deem expedient, which if not objected to by the authorities of the Colleges respectively were to take effect as statutes of such colleges, If, however, the governing body of any college should declare such ordinances and regulations to be prejudicial to their college as a place of learning and education, they were not to take effect, and the Commissioners were to prepare others; but where no new ordinances were framed, the original ordinances were to be embodied in a report to be transmitted to one of the Secretaries of State and laid before the two Houses of Parliament. The Commissioners having framed ordinances and regulations for the better governing of the College of St. John's, in the University of Oxford, which had been objected to by the governing body of the College; and not having framed any substitutive ordinances, had embodied their original ordinances in a report as directed. It had, however, been found that the powers of the Commissioners had expired, and that no further proceeding could be had in reference to that ordinance. The present Bill empowered Her Majesty, by Order in Council, to refer the matter to a Committee of Privy Council, who were to consider the ordinance and the objections, and report to Her Majesty. If their report confirmed the Ordinance, it was then to be laid before both Houses of Parliament, and unless within forty days either House should present an Address to Her Majesty praying her to withold her assent, the ordinance, having been approved by Her Majesty was to become a statute of the College. By one clause a power was given to the governing body or any parties interested in the College to petition Her Majesty in relation to the ordinance and every such petition was to be referred to the Committee with the ordinance.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, he had no objection to the second reading of the 1884 Bill; but be had received a request from the Master and Wardens of the Merchant Taylors' Company that he would procure the insertion of words into the Bill which would secure to them the right of petitioning the Committee of Privy Council against any ordinance which they might deem injurious to the interests of their School—a right which did not appear to be given to them by the clause as it now stood. He had a copy of the words which they desired to have inserted, and would hand them to the noble Lord who had charge of the Bill before the House went into Committee.
§ Bill read 2a and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Friday next.