Abstract
WE published on July 10, 1926,a heading article on the University of London. The position at that time was that the Government had redeemed its pledge, to introduce legislation “to make further provision for the University of I non by introducing a bill in the House of Lords, and this Bill had been accorded its second reading on the motion of the Earl of Balfour. On Nov. 19, the Bill receied its second reading in the House of Commons on the motion of Lord Eustace Percy, president of the Board of Education, in a conciliatory and closely-reasoned speech. Dr. Graham Little, the member for the University, led the opposition in a vigorous speech, urging that any necessary changes in the constitution of the University should be made by those having internal knowledge of its work and aspirations. “It is in the interests of freedom,” he said in his peroration, “the freedom of the University and the freedom of the students, especially of external students, that I beg the House to reject the Bill.” Capt. Fairfax, who seconded the rejection, was supported by Sir Richard Barnett; but most of the speakers, including Mr. Trevelyan, Mr. Withers, Sir Alfred Hopkinson, Mr. Lees Smith, Mr. Hilton Young, accepted the main principles of the Bill, which passed its second reading without a division. The proceedings in Standing Committee on Dec. 2 produced two important Government amendments, the first safeguarding the interests of theological colleges whose position is differentiated from that of other colleges in their not receiving financial support from the Government; and the second, in the form of new clause—a concession implementing the Government's declaration that there was no desire or intention to establish State control of the University—authorising recommendations to His Majesty in Council from persons or bodies representative of the University regarding the appointment of the crown members of the council of the University. The Bill received the Royal Assent on Dec. 15, and its short title is “University of London Act, 1926.”
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Draft Statutes for the University of London. Nature 120, 709–710 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120709a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120709a0