Item 30 - Letter from H. A. Woodham

4 folded sheets

50 Hills Road - Thanks Whewell for his 'Of a Liberal Education in General...3: The Revised Statutes 1851-1852'. The 'University of Cambridge cannot be the only corporate body in the Kingdom incapable of self government. I think that the restrictions on its rights imposed in the 16th cent. does operate greatly to its damage. I think that no College office should confer University privilege; that all authority should emanate really, as it does nominally, from the Senate, & that no influence should exist in that body except such as personal merits might serve'. The 17 heads of college have far too much influence: they nominate almost every office in the Senate - such a distribution of power leads to two parties. The opinion of these heads substitutes for the opinion of the whole body. Woodham gives a long critique on the non-representative nature of the office of Vice-Chancellor, and agrees that 'the Senate absolutely requires a Council, Committee, or "Caput" charged with some such functions as the Caput now existing, but I consider that in the constitution of this Council, such regard should be had to prudence, wisdom & experience, as would exclude from the permanent possession of one third of its places a small body of college officers "not necessarily distinguished" for either'.