ENGLISH EXTRACTS. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. Oxford, June 17.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 240, 17 November 1847, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. Oxford, June 17.

i The Commemoration of Founders and Benefactors was yesterday holden in the theatre, according to the ancient custom, and, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, that magnificent room was filled in every part. The principal attraction doubtless was the presence of no less than eight prelates, namely, the Bishops of Winchester, Oxford, St. Asaph, Madras, the Bishops Designate of Adelaide, Cape Town, Melbourne, and Newcastle, New South Wales. It having been resolved to confer the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity on such of the new bishops as were members of this ! University, the Right Rev. G. J. T. Spencer, of University college, Bishop of Madras, the Rev. A. Short, M. A., late student of Christ Church, Bishop Designate of Adelaide, and the Rev. R. Gray, M. A., of University, Bishop Designate of Cape Town, were presented by the Regius Professor of Divinity, Dr. Hampden, in a speech of great talent, and were severally admitted to their degrees. Immediately after the admission of the three Oxford Bishops, the Rev. C. Perry, D. D., late Fellow ot Tiiniiy College, Cambridge, and now Bishop Designate of Melbourne, was admitted ad eundem. The honorary degree of Doctor in Civil Law was next conferred on General Sir P. Maitland, G.C.8., late Governor of the Cape of Good Hope ; and on H. H. Southey, Esq., M,D., F.R.S., one of the physicians in ordinary to George ' the Fourth, and brother to the late Laureate, who were both, in the absence of Dr, Phillimore, the Regius Professor of Civil Law, presented by the Rev. Dr. Bliss, the Registrar of the University. The ceremonial of degrees concluded by the admission of the Rev. Charles Rowlatt, M.A., of Queen's College, Cambridge, ad eundem. The Ccewean Oration was delivered by the Public Orator, the Rev. William Jacobson, who alluded principally to the foundation of Sir R. Taylor, and the galleries of art recently erected from the funds of Dr. Randolph, assisted by the munificence of the University. To Sir R. Taylor, Oxford owes the addition of modern languages to the various branches of literature and science already provided for by her more ancient benefactors ; and Dr. Randolph's bequest has mainly been the means of providing a gallery for the reception of works of art, of which (thanks to the liberality of the members of the University, and more especially to the present Lord Eldon, who contributed no less a sum than £4000 for that purpoae) there is already a collection of original drawings, by Raffaelle and Michael Angelo, which will be eminently useful in forming and improving the taste ot our younger members, and which nothing but "the promptitude and liberality of the' subscribers, and of the nobleman already mentioned, preserved to the country. Mr. Jacobson concluded by an allusion to the' extensive collection of Sir Francis Chantrey's models, re-, gretting that they had not been associated with some' by Flaxman' or Thorwaldseh ; and he lastly touched with much humour on a work on art recently published by a member 'of the University, whose admiration of the works of a living artist has, perhaps, prevent-; ed him from justly appreciating the merits of. earlier and greater masters. ' The Chancellor's Prizes and the Newdigate Poem were then recited:— The Latin Verse, by Mr. Cjoningtoto', Fellow of TJniversity: the English Essay, by 'Mr. Goldwin

Smith, Stowell Fellow of University ; the Latin Essay, Mr. Edward Palmer, Fellow of Balliol; and Sir Roger Newdigate's Poem on Prince Charles Edward, after the battle of Culloden, by Mr. John Adams, Commoner of Magdalen Hall, with which the ceremony concluded. At the conclusion of the commemoration, a very important meeting was holden at the Town Hall in aid of the fund for promoting the endowment of additional bishoprics in the colonies. The Bishop of Oxford took the chair and opened the proceedings ; most of the bishops present addressed the meeting, as did the Provost of Oriel, the Vice Chancellor, &c, &c. The result was a collection of i about £160.

Murder by a Maniac at Knowsley. — The household of Lord Derby, and the residents in the immediate neighbourhood of Knowsley-hall, were thrown into a state of considerable excitement on Sunday evening last by the following shocking occurrence. About 7 o'clock in the evening, a man, who appeared to be in a very excited state, and without hat or shoes, came to the door of the lodge in Knowsley-Park, in which, resides an old retainer of the family well known as Betty Highcock, and her servant maid, an interesting looking young girl of fifteen, named Ann Leyland. The old woman was alarmed at the man's appearance, and told him to go away, as she had nothing to give him. ' He immediately rushed at and threw her down. The girl Leyland ran terrified out of the house, down the avenue. The maniac, for such he was, pursued her. Old Mrs. Highcock taking advantage of the opportunity, got up, and ran in the opposite direction towards the stables. Some of the grooms having heard her screams, came out, and, going in the direction of the carriage road, found the madman about fifty yards from the cottage door, standing over the unfortunate girl, whom he had knocked down. He had one foot upon each of her arms, and her long hair twisted in his hands, whilst he was pulling it with all his might. The girl then appeared to be insensible. It would appear that some minutes elapsed before the persons who first arrived would dare to approach the maniac, who threatened them with instant destruction if they interfered with him. At length, however, a helper in the stables, named James Mills, came behind, and threw him right over, when, horrible to relate, the scalp, extending from the front to the back of the head (upwards of six inches in diameter, which must have been partially detached by the previous blows), was rent completely from the skull, leaving the bone exposed for the breadth of a man's hand. The girl was immediately taken up and conveyed to the hall. She never recovered from the collapsed state in which she was found, and died at eight o'clock on Monday morning. The perpetrator of the horrid deed was not secured for some time. He deliberately walked up before the windows of the hall — sometimes wiping his hands with the inside of the bloody scalp, and at others holding it high over his head, and singing " hallelujahs/ Within, about a quarter of an hour after he bad first been seen, several persons collected round with pitchforks, staves, and other weapons, and he was secured and handed over to a policeman. The name of the man is James Dwerryhouse. He is a powerful looking person, about 35 years of age ; had been for some years in the army, served in India, and was discharged with a conditional pension about four years since. For the last two years he has been employed as a signalman on the London and North- Western Railway, stationed at Broad-green, the duties of which office he performed up to Saturday evening last. On that day he appeared to some of the overlookers and to his family to be rather strange in his conduct, constantly reading a hymn-book, and refusing to take his usual meals. An inquest was held on the body of the girl at Knowsley-hall on Wednesday evening. A verdict of " wilful murder" was returned against the prisoner, and he was immediately forwarded to Kirkdale Gaol. — Morning Chronicle, June 18.