THE University of Oxford is a body corporate, under the title
of 'The Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of
Oxford.' As such it has the power of holding property, of
appointing its own officers, and of making regulations for its
internal management. It has also other powers, or privileges,
which are not incidental to its character as a corporation: the
most important of these are that of exercising jurisdiction, both
civil and criminal, over its members, and that of returning repre-
sentatives to Parliament. It exercises its powers by means of
four bodies: (1) The Hebdomadal Council, which has the initia-
tive in all matters of legislation, and which consists of eighteen
elected members, together with the Chancellor, the Vice-
Chancellor, and the Proctors; (2) The House of Convoca-
tion, of which, subject to certain regulations as to the payment
of fees and the retaining of their names on the Register, all
persons are members who have taken the degree of Master of
Arts, or of Doctor of Civil Law or Medicine; (3) The Con-
gregation of the University, which consists of the Heads of
Colleges, Professors, Examiners, and other official persons, and
also of such members of the House of Convocation as reside
within the limits of the University for not less than twenty weeks
in each year; (4) The Ancient House of Congregation, which
consists of all Masters of Arts and Doctors of Divinity, Civil
Law, and Medicine, of less than two years' standing, together
with all Heads of Colleges and Halls, and certain other official
persons. The exact constitution and functions of these several
bodies are defined in the University Statutes, and in the 'Oxford
University Act' of 1854. The administration of the University