1832.

On the 24th of January, the Court of King's Bench gave judgment in an action of trespass, brought by the Master, Professors, Fellows, and Scholars of Downing College, against John Purchas Esq. and John Tweed. The action had been tried at the Cambridgeshire Summer Assizes, 1828, when a verdict was found for the Plaintiffs, subject to a special case. The question for the decision of the Court was, whether the College (which was established subsequently to the Paving Acts being passed) was liable to the Paving Rate. The Court held that the College was not so liable, but was to be charged with the rest of the University, and not as a part of the town.(1)

On the 15th of February, a petition, signed by upwards of 1400 landowners and occupiers in the county against certain provisions in the Reform Bill, was presented to the House of Commons by Captain Yorke R.N. On the 17th an address to the King, of a similar character, was presented to His Majesty at Brighton by the Earl De La Warr. There was also a like petition to the House of Lords.

On the 23rd of March, a poll was taken for the office of Registrary of the University, vacant by the death of William Hustler Esq. M.A. of Jesus College, when the votes were, for the Rev. Joseph Romilly M.A. fellow of Trinity College, 233; for the Rev. Temple Chevallier B.D. sometime fellow of Catharine Hall, 193.

At a public meeting of the inhabitants, held at the Town Hall, on the 7th of May, Thomas Hovell Esq. in the chair, it was agreed to petition the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill, without any alteration affecting its principle or diminishing its efficiency.

On the 16th of May, Mr. Green junr. ascended in a balloon from Warwicker's yard, Barnwell. He was accompanied by a relative and James Hope Esq. of St. John's College. The balloon descended near Foulmire. On the 19th, Mr. Green ascended again from Warwicker's yard, accompanied by Mr. Heywood of Trinity College and Mr. Clarke of St. John's College. The descent, on this latter occasion, was at Graveley, in this county.

By the Parliamentary Reform Act, which received the royal assent on the 7th of June, the number of Knights of the Shire to serve for Cambridgeshire was increased from two to three; and the constituency of the Borough of Cambridge was greatly enlarged by the admission to the suffrage of all £10. householders, whilst freemen admitted after the 1st of March, 1831, otherwise than in respect of

(1) Barnewall & Adolphus's Reports, iii. 162.

birth or servitude, and all freemen not residing within the borough, or seven miles thereof, were excluded from the right of voting. The Act contains a proviso that nothing therein contained shall extend to or in any wise affect the election of Members to serve in Parliament for the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, or shall entitle any person to vote in the election of Members of Parliament for the city of Oxford or town of Cambridge, in respect of the occupation of any chambers or premises in any of the Colleges or Halls of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.(1)

On the 30th June, the Senate voted an address to the King, congratulating him on his escape from an attack made on him at Ascot Races, by a maniac named Dennis Collins. This address was pre

sented at St. James's on the 11th of July.

The Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs (royal assent 11th July), appoints six polling places for the county of Cambridge, viz.: Cambridge, Newmarket, Royston, Ely, Wisbeach, and Whittlesey, and declares the Parliamentary boundary of the Borough of Cambridge to be "The old Borough of Cambridge."(2)

On the 3rd of August, the royal assent was given to an Act to authorize the identifying of lands and other possessions of certain Ecclesiastical and Collegiate Corporations. It expressly extends to the lands and possessions of the Colleges and Halls in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.(3)

By Letters Patent, dated 6th of August, the King incorporated the Cambridge Philosophical Society with power to hold in mortmain to the extent of £2000. a year. The society shortly afterwards caused a common seal to be engraved by Mr. Wyon, having thereon a figure of Sir Isaac Newton, after the statue in Trinity College Chapel, with this inscription, "Societas Philosophica Cantab. Incorp. MDCCCXXXII."

The University this year accepted a legacy of £2000., free of duty, given by the Reverend John Crosse, Vicar of Bradford, in Yorkshire, for the purpose of founding three Theological Scholarships. The necessary regulations were confirmed by a grace of the Senate, passed on the 4th of December.

At the election of Members of Parliament for the Town, the candidates(4) were George Pryme Esq. Professor of Politica! Economy,

(1) Stat. 2 & 3 Gul. IV. c. 45, ss. 15, 27, 32, 78. Sched. (F 2.)

(2) Stat. 2 & 3 Gul. IV. c. 64, s. 29. Sched. (N). Sched. (O).

(3) Stat. 2 & 3 Gul. IV. c. 80.

(4) Requisitions had been presented to the Hon. George Godolphin Osborne and Christopher Pemberton Esq., but they respectively declined to become candidates.

the Right Hon. Thomas Spring Rice(1) one of the Secretarics of the Treasury, and Sir Edward Burtenshaw Sugden(2) Knt. The poll was taken on Parker's Piece on the 11th and 12th of December. 1247 electors voted, and the numbers were, Pryme, 979; Rice, 709; Sugden, 540.(3)

The Right Hon. Henry Goulburn M. A. and the Right Hon. Charles Manners Sutton(4) LL.D. both of Trinity College, were, on the 12th of December, elected Members of Parliament for the University. John William Lubbock Esq. M.A. of Trinity College, had been an opposing candidate, but retired before the day of election.

The candidates for the representation of the County in Parliament were, Captain Charles Philip Yorke R.N., Richard Greaves Townley Esq., John Walbanke Childers Esq., and Henry John Adeane Esq. The poll was taken in districts on the 18th and 19th of December. The three first-named were elected, the votes being as follow·

·1

At a public meeting of the inhabitants, convened by and presided over by W. J. Purchas Esq. Mayor, and held at the Shire Hall, on

(1) Mr. Rice was educated at Trinity College but took no degree till after he became a member of the Privy Council. In or before 1820, he was elected to Parliament for the city of Limerick. In 1827, he was appointed Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, and in November, 1830, one of the Secretaries of the Treasury, being sworn of the Privy Council. In June, 1834, he was constituted Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, which office he held till December, in the same year. In April, 1835, he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, which office he held till 1839, when he was raised to the peerage as Lord Monteagle of Brandon. He was shortly afterwards appointed Comptroller of the Exchequer.

(2) An eminent member of the Chancery bar. He was returned to Parliament for Weymouth, in 1828, appointed Solicitor General in Hilary Vacation, 1829, (when he was knighted) and held that office till Michaelmas Term, 1830. He was Lord Chancellor of Ireland, from December, 1834, till April, 1835, and from September, 1841, to July, 1846.

(4) Speaker of the House of Commons, 1817-1834. Viscount Canterbury, 1835.

the 24th of December, it was agreed to petition the House of Commons to abolish or reduce the Assessed Taxes, especially the duties on houses and windows.

1833.

On the 6th of February, the Senate voted £200. from the University Chest, in aid of the funds for the relief of the distressed Clergy in Ireland. The Master and fellows of Trinity College also voted £100.

On the 30th of March, were executed at the Castle William Westnott, aged 24, and Charles Carter, aged 22, for maliciously shooting at William Kidd, a gamekeeper in the employ of the Earl of Hardwicke, at Kingston Wood, on the night of the 5th of January. Charles Algood, aged 42, had been tried and convicted with them, but his life was spared.

On the 28th of April, the Vicechancellor, Noblemen, Heads of Colleges, and officers and members of the University, accompanied by a deputation from the Pitt Committee (viz., Marquess Camden, Earls of Clarendon and Harrowby, Lord Farnborough, Sir George Henry Rose, Henry Banks Esq. and Samuel Thornton Esq.) went in procession from the Senate House to the Pitt Press, where the Marquess Camden, after an appropriate address, delivered the key of the building to Dr. Webb the Vicechancellor, who returned thanks in the name of the University. After each member of the deputation had printed off at the press a copy of the inscription on the foundation stone, a cold collation was given by the Press Syndicate to the Deputation, the Vicechancellor, Heads of Houses, &c., &c.

On the 7th of May, the Senate voted a petition to the House of Commons against the Irish Church Temporalities Bill. The votes were, Non Regents: placets, 46; non-placets, 12; Regents: placets, 42; non-placets, 9.

On the 11th of May, the Judges decided that the Colleges in this University were not liable to pay duty in respect of their armorial bearings.(1)

In or about May, certain inhabitants of the town petitioned the House of Commons against the Irish Church Temporalities Bill.

On the 24th of May, the Senate voted petitions to both Houses of Parliament against a bill for the relief of his Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish religion. The votes were, Non Regents: placets, 27; non-placets, 4; Regents: placets, 27; non-placets, 14.

(1) Cases on Assessed Tax Acts, No. 814.

On the 24th of May, was presented to the House of Commons a petition from Thomas Hovell, Henry Gunning, Ebenezer Foster, William Freeman Coe, Henry Headly, Francis John Gunning, William Garfit Ashton, William Herring Smith, and Charles Henry Cooper, inhabitants of the town, detailing various abuses in the Corporation, and praying that the House would adopt measures to remove the grievances complained of, and for reforming the Corporation, and extending the privileges possessed by the freemen to all persons qualified under the Reform Act, to elect representatives in parliament for the town.(1)

On the 6th of June, the Senate voted a petition to the House of Commons, against the Tithe Commutation Bill. The votes were, Kon Regents placets, 28; non-placets, 10: Regents: placets, 27; non-placets, 10.

The third anniversary meeting of the British Association for the advancement of science took place at Cambridge, on the 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th of June. The general meetings were held in the Senate House. The President of the Association was the Rev. Adam Sedgwick M.A. Woodwardian Professor. There was a grand musical festival on the 28th and 29th of June, and on the 1st of July.

On the 24th of July, the royal assent was given to an act to enable the election of officers of corporations and other public companies then required to be held on the Lord's Day, to be held on the Saturday next preceding or on the Monday next ensuing.(2) Previously to the passing of this act, (which extends not only to elections but to all business of a secular character,) the election of Vicechancellor and other officers of the University occasionally took place on Sunday.

On the 8th of August, 95 inhabitants of the town were proposed as freemen, 41 were elected, With a single exception the latter were all of one political party.

The Lighting and Watching Act, which received the royal assent on the 28th of August, contains a proviso that nothing therein contained should extend to alter or in any manner to affect any of the rights or privileges of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, or any of the powers vested by charter or otherwise in the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars, and their successors of the said Universities.(3)

(1) Digested Report of Evidence before Corporation Commissioners, xi.-xx.