Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/776

 762 OXFORD UNIVERSITY university and the colleges. The greater num- ber of the fellowships and scholarships had been subjected by their founders to conditions which in time had become impracticable or absurd, and they were altered or abolished by the act of 1854. One of the most important of these changes was the throwing open to general competition of a large number of fel- lowships and scholarships which had before been restricted to particular classes of persons ; and in many cases, where the original restric- tions were retained, it was provided that they should be open to general competition in case no duly qualified candidates presented them- selves. The following account of the constitu- tion of the university, the colleges, and other institutions connected with it, represents it as it exists at the present time. The official title of the university as a corporate body, " The Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the Uni- versity of Oxford," has existed for centuries, and was confirmed by act of parliament in the reign of Elizabeth. The powers of the uni- versity are vested in four bodies. The " House of Congregation" consists of regents. For- merly every graduate acquired the right to teach, and incurred the obligatio'n of doing so, if necessary, for a certain limited time. Those who voluntarily entered upon the office of teacher were called regentes ad placitum or voluntary regents ; those who were under ob- ligation to teach, if the number of voluntary regents was not sufficient, were said to be necessario regentes. The original meaning of these terms has become obsolete,' but they are now used as follows : all doctors and masters of arts for two years from the end of the term in which they were admitted to their degrees are necessario regentes ; all professors, doctors resident in the university, heads of colleges and halls, masters of the schools, censors and deans of colleges, are regentes ad placitum. The business of the house of congregation is con- fined to the ratification of the nomination of examiners and to the granting of ordinary de- grees. The "House of Convocation" consists of all who are or have been regents, provided their names have constantly been kept on the books of some college or hall or of the dele- gates of unattached students, and they have paid all statutable fees. All the formal busi- ness of the university as a corporate body, except what belongs to the house of congre- gation, is transacted in the house of convoca- tion. It confers honorary degrees and others granted out of the usual course; and near- ly all offices in the gift of the university are filled by it. All questions are decided by the majority of votes, except that the chancellor or vice chancellor or his deputy singly, and the two proctors jointly, have a right of veto in all matters except elections ; but practically the right is never exercised. No statute is binding until it has received the assent of convocation. The " Congregation of the Uni- versity of Oxford " consists of the chancellor, the heads of colleges and halls, the canons of Christ Church college, the proctors, members of the hebdomadal council, professors, exami- ners, and several other officials, and of all those members of convocation who resided within one mile and a half of Carfax during the year which ended on the first day of the preceding September. Carfax is the name given to a place where four streets meet, about the centre of the town. The passing of 140 nights with- in the prescribed limits is considered a suffi- cient compliance with the requirement. The chief business of the congregation is legislative. In it new statutes proposed by the hebdomadal council are promulgated, discussed, and amend- ed. Every question is decided by a major- ity, and no right of veto exists. A statute ap- proved by congregation goes, after an interval of seven days, to convocation for final adop- tion or rejection. The " Hebdomadal Coun- cil " consists of official and elected members. The official members are the chancellor, vice chancellor, late vice chancellor (for one year after he has ceased to hold office, or until the next triennial election), and the two proctors. The elected members are six heads of colleges or halls, six professors (who may also be heads of houses), and six members of convocation of not less than five years' standing (who may be heads of houses or professors). They are elected by the congregation of the university in such a way that one half of each of the three classes vacate their seats every three years, be- ing however reeligible. This council has the initiative of all the legislation of the univer- sity. The highest officer of the university is the chancellor, who is elected for life by the house of convocation, and receives no pay. Formerly a resident ecclesiastic was always chosen, but for more than 200 years the office has been conferred upon noblemen who have been members of the university. The present chancellor (1875) is the marquis of Salisbury, formerly fellow of All Souls college. Except on rare occasions the duties of the office are discharged by the vice chancellor, who is an- nually nominated by the chancellor from the heads of colleges, and must be approved by convocation. The office is generally held by nomination for four years. The vice chancel- lor appoints from the heads of colleges four pro-vice-chancellors to serve in case of his absence. The office of seneschattus, or high steward, is now merely honorary, and the pay nominal. It is at present held by the earl of Carnarvon. There are two proctors, elected annually from the colleges and halls, and they each appoint two deputies. They are the chief police officers of the university, and have a large police jurisdiction in the town. There are numerous other officers. There are eight regius professorships (so called because found- ed by sovereigns of England), as follows : of divinity, civil law, medicine, Hebrew, and Greek, founded by Henry VIII. ; of modern history, by George I. ; and of pastoral theol-