a public dinner at Lancaster along with his schoolfellow Owen. On returning to Cambridge he was chosen vice-chancellor for the year 1842–3. He entered office with the intention of promoting certain improvements, especially desiring to limit the system of private tuition and to give a more important place to professors' lectures. A syndicate, over which he presided, proposed a measure which was rejected at the time, and Whewell had to find that his position, though very distracting, gave little power of introducing reforms. The Duke of Northumberland, who had been installed chancellor of the university during Whewell's vice-chancellorship, died on 12 Feb. 1847, and Whewell at once proposed to elect the prince consort as his successor. A requisition was sent to the prince on 20 Feb., when he expressed his willingness to comply with ‘the unanimous wish’ of the university. As Lord Powis, who was also a candidate, did not withdraw, this reply might be taken for a refusal. The prince's supporters, however, determined to proceed, and at a poll on 25, 26, and 27 Feb. he was elected by a majority of 116. A good deal of feeling was roused. Lord Powis was supported by the high-church party, and the election of the prince was supposed to be a step towards the ‘Germanising’ of the university, that is, to the decay of sound learning, morals, and religion. The prince had accompanied the queen to Cambridge in 1843, and again upon his installation in 1847, and both then and afterwards had some personal communication with Whewell. A chancellor can do little to introduce reforms, good or bad, but the prince approved of Whewell's attempt to widen the Cambridge course. The foundation of the ‘moral sciences’ and ‘natural sciences’ triposes by a grace of 1848 was due to Whewell. The first examination was in 1851. In 1849 Whewell offered two prizes to be won by the candidates for the first of these triposes most distinguished in moral philosophy. The prizes were continued till he resigned the professorship in 1855. The new triposes, however, languished, though Whewell did his best to promote them. They were raised to the level of the old triposes as qualifications for a degree by grace of 24 May 1860, when boards for regulating them were constituted. Whewell served on the moral sciences board, and acted as examiner for two years.
Meanwhile public attention was being roused to more extensive reforms, and royal commissions for Oxford and Cambridge were issued in August 1850, and reported in August 1852. An act for an executive commission for Cambridge was passed after various delays in 1856. Whewell, though a reformer in his own way, took a strong part in opposing many of the changes finally adopted. He held that the university should be allowed to reform itself. He was member of a syndicate appointed in 1849, and again in 1850 and 1851, to revise the university statutes. He replied to the inquiries of the royal commission, but always under protest. He affirmed generally the principles set forth in his books upon education. Whewell especially stood out in the syndicate for maintaining the powers of the ‘caput,’ an old-fashioned body which practically gave to the heads of houses a veto upon all university legislation. A considerable minority objected to this, and the senate threw out a grace embodying the plan. The bill of 1856 transferred the power of the ‘caput’ to an elected council, of which Whewell was a member from its first establishment till his death. The reform of Trinity College produced new difficulties. The whole body of sixty fellows became the governing body of the college under the act. Whewell and the eight seniors who had previously held the authority refrained for some time from summoning the new body and gave offence to the juniors. The discussion of the statutes by the new body began in 1857, when many of the juniors were in favour of changes which Whewell regarded as pernicious. On 1 Jan. 1858 the power of framing new statutes passed to the commissioners, though a vote of two-thirds of the governing body might reject them. Ultimately the commissioners' scheme was accepted with some modifications in 1859. Whewell's main objection was to any regulation which should interfere with the autonomy of the colleges. He declared that such changes would really hinder instead of promoting reform, especially the introduction of new studies. Though he was opposed throughout to the schemes of decided reformers, he loyally accepted the new state of things. He had especially objected to an annual meeting of the masters and fellows, but when it became the law he took care to arrange the meeting so as to make attendance convenient.
In 1851 Whewell gave a successful lecture to inaugurate a course suggested by the prince consort in connection with the Great Exhibition. His last important work appeared during the same period. At the end of 1853 he published (anonymously) his essay ‘Of the Plurality of Worlds.’ His doctrine—that we have no ground for believing in other inhabited worlds than our
