Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1877
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1877 c. 48 |
| Year | 1877 |
Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act, 1877
(40 & 41 Vict.) CHAPTER 48.
An Act to make further Provision respecting the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the Colleges therein.
[10th August 1877]
W HEREAS the revenues of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are not adequate to the full discharge of the duties incumbent on them respectively, and it is therefore expedient that provision be made for enabling or requiring the Colleges in each University to contribute more largely out of their revenues to University purposes, especially with a view to further and better instruction in art, science, and other branches of learning, where the same are not taught, or not adequately taught, in the University:
And whereas it may be requisite, for the purposes aforesaid, as regards each University, to attach fellowships and other emolument held in the Colleges to offices in the University:
And whereas it is also expedient to make provision for regulating the tenure and advantages of fellowships not so attached, and for altering the conditions on which the same are held, and to amend in divers other particulars the law relating to the Universities and Colleges:
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Preliminary.
1 Short titles.
1. This Act may be cited as TheUniversities of Oxford and Cambridge Act, 1877; and the Acts described in the schedule to this Act may respectively be cited by the short titles therein mentioned.
2 Interpretation.
2. In this Act—
‘The University’ means the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge respectively, or one of them separately (as the case may require):
‘The Senate’ means the Senate of the University of Cambridge:
‘College’ means a College in the University, and includes the Cathedral or House of Christ Church in Oxford:
‘Hall’ means one of the following Halls, namely, St. Mary Hall, St. Edmund Hall, St. Alban Hall, New Inn Hall, in the University of Oxford:
‘The Governing Body’ of a College means, as regards the Colleges in the University of Oxford, except Christ Church, the head and all actual fellows of the College, being graduates, and as regards Christ Church means the dean, canons, and senior students:
‘The Governing Body’ of a College means, as regards the Colleges in the University of Cambridge, except Downing College, the head and all actual fellows of the College, bye-fellows excepted, being graduates, and as regards Downing College, the head, professors, and all actual fellows thereof, bye-fellows excepted, being graduates:
‘Emolument’ includes—
(1) (1.) A headship, professorship, lectureship, readership, prlectorship, fellowship, bye-fellowship, tutorship, senior studentship, scholarship, junior studentship, exhibition, demyship, postmastership, taberdarship, Bible clerkship, servitorship, sizarship, sub-sizarship, or other place in the University or a College, or Hall, having attached thereto an income payable out of the revenues of the University or of a College or Hall, or being a place to be held and enjoyed by a head or other member of a College or Hall as such, or having attached thereto an income to be so held and enjoyed, arising wholly or in part from an endowment, benefaction, or trust; and
(2) (2.) The income aforesaid, and all benefits and advantages of every nature and kind belonging to the place, and any endowment belonging to, or held by, or for the benefit of, or enjoyed by, a head or other member of a College or Hall as such, and any fund, endowment, or property held by or on behalf of the University or a College or Hall, for the purpose of advancing, rewarding, or otherwise providing for any member of the University or College or Hall, or of purchasing any advowson, benefice, or property to be held for the like purpose, or to be in any manner applied for the promotion of any such member; and
(3) (3.) As regards the University of Oxford a bursary appropriated to any College in Scotland:
‘Office’ has the same meaning in the sections in which ‘The Universities Tests Act, 1871,’ is mentioned as it has in that Act:
‘School’ means a school or other place of education beyond the precincts of the University, and includes a College in Scotland:
‘Professor’ includes Regius and other professor, and reader, and teacher; and ‘Professorship’ includes their several offices:
‘Advowson’ includes right of patronage, exclusive or alternate:
‘The Charity Commissioners’ means the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales:
‘The Secretary of State’ means one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State.
Commissioners.
3 Bodies of Commissioners.
3. There shall be two bodies of Commissioners styled respectively the University of Oxford Commissioners and the University of Cambridge Commissioners.
The provisions of this Act referring to the Commissioners shall be construed to apply to those two bodies respectively, or to one of those two bodies separately, as the case may require
4 Nomination of Oxford Commissioners.
4. The following persons are hereby nominated the University of Oxford Commissioners:
The Right Honourable Roundell, Baron Selborne.
The Right Honourable John Thomas, Earl of Redesdale.
The Right Honourable Mountague Bernard, Doctor of Civil Law.
The Honourable Sir William Robert Grove, one of the Justices of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice.
The Reverend James Bellamy, Doctor of Divinity, President of St. John's College.
Henry John Stephen Smith, Master of Arts, Savilian Professor of Geometry.
Matthew White Ridley, Esquire, Master of Arts.
5 Nomination of Cambridge Commissioners.
5. The following persons are hereby nominated the University of Cambridge Commissioners:
The Right Honourable Sir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, Baronet, Lord Chief Justice of England.
The Right Reverend Henry, Lord Bishop of Worcester.
The Right Honourable John William, Lord Rayleigh.
The Right Honourable Edward Pleydell Bouverie.
The Reverend Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Doctor of Divinity, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity.
George Gabriel Stokes, Master of Arts, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.
George Wirgman Hemming, one of Her Majesty's Counsel, Master of Arts.
6 Vacancies among Commissioners.
6. If any person nominated a Commissioner by this Act dies, resigns, or becomes incapable of acting as a Commissioner, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty the Queen to appoint a person to fill his place; and so from time to time as regards every person appointed under this section: Provided that the name of every person so appointed shall be laid before the Houses of Parliament within ten days after the appointment, if Parliament is then sitting, or if not, then ten days after the next meeting of Parliament.
Duration: Proceedings.
7 Duration of Commissions.
7. The powers of the Commissioners shall continue until the end of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty, and no longer; but it shall be lawful for Her Majesty the Queen, from time to time, with the advice of Her Privy Council, on the application of the Commissioners, to continue the powers of the Commissioners for such time as Her Majesty thinks fit, but not beyond the end of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
8 Chairmen and meetings of Commissioners.
8. The Commissioner first named in this Act, as regards each of the two bodies of Commissioners, shall be the Chairman of the respective body of Commissioners; and in case of his ceasing from any cause to be a Commissioner, or of his absence from any meeting, the Commissioners present at each meeting shall choose a chairman.
The powers of the Commissioners may be exercised at a meeting at which three or more Commissioners are present.
In case of an equality of votes on a question at a meeting, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote in respect of that question.
9 Seal of Commissioners.
9. The Commissioners shall have a common seal, and the same shall be judicially noticed.
10 Vacancies not to invalidate acts.
10. Any act of the Commissioners shall not be invalid by reason only of any vacancy in their body; but if at any time, and as long as, the number of persons acting as Commissioners is less than four, the Commissioners shall discontinue the exercise of their powers.
Statutes for University and Colleges.
11 Power for University and Colleges to make statutes.
11. Until the end of the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight, the University and the Governing Body of a College shall have the like powers in all respects of making statutes for the University or the College respectively, and of making statutes for altering or repealing statutes made by them, as are, from and after the end of that year, conferred on the Commissioners by this Act; but every statute so made shall, before the end of that year, be laid before the Commissioners, and the same, if approved before or after the end of that year by the Commissioners by writing under their seal, but not otherwise, shall, as regards the force and operation of the statute, and as regards proceedings prescribed by this Act to be taken respecting a statute made by the Commissioners after (but not before) the statute is made, be deemed to be a statute made by the Commissioners.
If within one month after a statute so made by...
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