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INTRODUCTION. the studiotii had any voice in the election of the University olficers. The next matter upon which Dr. Todd comments is as to the power of adopting any of the laws establislied in either of the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford. This he considers to be a power given with reference to the University, and not a power of adopting such laws for the government of Trinity College. The clause in question is found in the part of the Charter which expressly provides for having laws for the good govern- ment of the College. The University had not been previously referred to except where the College is described as 'mater Universitatis.' The words of the clause are not 'leges alte- rutra3 Academise,' or ' ex alterutra Academia,' but they are " et ut quasounque leges bene constitutas senserint in alterutra nostra Academia, modo sibi aptas et accommodas judicaverint, intra se stabiliant." As they stand in their place in the Char- ter, and when taken with their context, they seem to import that, in settling laws for the government of the College, the Provost and Fellows might select from the laws of any of the Collegfes in either of the Eno^lish Universities such as were adapted to themselves, i.e. to their own College. This was the " contemporanea expositio" of the Charter by those who at the first had to exercise this power. In recording the reasons given by the Provost and Fellows for declining to sur- render their Charter, Provost Temple speaks of " their Char- tered privilege of procuiing from the University of Cambridge copies of the best orders and laws in any of their Colleges there ; and according to their said privilege, they have, upon obtaining from thence of so worthy a pattern and direction, made and enacted a certain number of Statutes for the good government of the said College — approved of by the Visitors and by the Chancellor."* In a previous page his words are given thus : " We have been warranted by our Charter to
- Barrett MSS. p. 204.
