The Shadow of Great Britain

223: Chapter 151 The Transformation at the University of London (4K) 223: Chapter 151 The Transformation at the University of London (4K) On a tranquil Sunday morning, when most people would attend church to worship God, two uninvited guests arrived on Gower Street in London.

In other parts of Britain at this time, everyone should have been in church.

But for the heretical fellows on Gower Street, it was just another ordinary day.

The reason is simple: Gower Street was the territory of the University of London, and as everyone knows, the University of London is the only university in Britain without a prayer room.

Pious believers, priests, nobility, and other decent folk all shunned this place, but Arthur and Eld found it quite comfortable.

Eld, puffing on his pipe and donning a dark grey wool coat, pushed up the brim of his hat with his finger, revealing half an eye in the chilly autumn wind.

“Shall we show them what we’ve got?”

Arthur, removing his black leather gloves, nodded, “Yes, let’s give them a show.”

Shoulder to shoulder, they strode towards the university gates; although it was Sunday, they could still see quite a few students coming and going on campus.

Arthur’s reason for visiting the University of London campus today was naturally to make contact with Mr.

Bentham.

As Eld had said, although Bentham’s utilitarianism had been suppressed as heterodox for decades many years ago, times had changed.

In the last twenty years or so, the influence of utilitarianism had expanded greatly.

The principles of utilitarianism had captured many adherents within the Whig Party, and even several representative figures of the liberal Tories, such as George Canning, Hesketh, and Sir Peel, had been directly or indirectly influenced a great deal.

Among Mr.

Bentham’s proposals, the abolition of the slave trade, freedom of speech, and the reform of penal laws had all been implemented.

Although several other proposals, like the separation of church and state, the abolition of corporal punishment, the end of usury, women’s equality, and free trade were too bold and faced too much resistance to be enacted.

Nevertheless, no one could underestimate Mr.

Bentham’s current influence within Britain’s political, economic, and even cultural spheres.

The “Westminster Review,” founded by him, being able to challenge both the Tory and Whig party organs “Quarterly Review” and “Edinburgh Review” in the realm of public opinion is clear evidence.

And, in order to defeat the Tory Party in Parliament, the Whig Party this time can be said to have united all the forces they could.

From lower-class workers and the poor who were dissatisfied with their living conditions, to the rising middle class eager to influence national decisions, to the archbishops and priests furious over the “Catholic Emancipation Act.”

The Whigs had allied with all these groups, so how could they not extend an olive branch to the University of London, which had never been favored by the Tories?

You see, the students of the University of London have been anxious and unable to obtain degrees for more than just a year or two, with Mr.

Eld Carter being a prime example.

Of course, perhaps because Mr.

Eld Carter already had a stable establishment job, he was not too keen on directing his anger toward the ruling party but rather focused his precise attacks on the priests who often attacked the University of London in newspapers and Parliament, and on Cambridge and Oxford, the bastions of conservative power in Britain.

However, other students, who lacked Eld’s Royal Navy background, couldn’t speak as boldly.

Although they couldn’t comprehend why the priests had jumped to this side, they all had to pinch their noses and temporarily squat in the same trench against Wellington’s cabinet with the former priestly enemies.

While Eld was away using the restroom, Arthur’s gaze swept across the faces of each student in the campus, and he could easily read from their elated expressions that everyone must be quite satisfied with the recent political developments.

Arthur, with his pipe in hand, raised an eyebrow: “Maybe the Whigs coming into power is a good thing for me?

If the royal charter really comes through, at least from now on, nobody can say I’m studying at a diploma mill, right?”

The Red Devil, following behind and leaning on a marble sculpture, yawned, “Come on, Arthur.

Since you’re so keen on promoting the issuance of the royal charter, why not just run for MP directly?”

Arthur glanced at the Red Devil, “You’re one to talk, Agares.

A seat in Parliament isn’t something a small-timer like me can touch.

To become an MP, I’d first have to quit my Scotland Yard job.

Then I’d need to research which constituency to go for; in a larger constituency with lots of voters, Mr.

Disraeli, who preaches in Hyde Park to no listeners, serves as a warning to me.

If I go for a small constituency, I’d have to shell out three to four thousand pounds to buy votes, and what’s most important is that even if you want to buy, they may not be willing to sell.

The worst-case scenario is ending up in a pre-determined constituency where just attempting to buy votes could get you beaten up, let alone if those people might retaliate, accuse you of electoral bribery, tarnish and rot your name, and conveniently throw you in jail.”

Agares took out a handkerchief to blow his nose, shaking it off afterward: “Arthur, why don’t you get my point?

Didn’t Wellington ask you to join the Tory Party and secure you a seat?

As soon as you nod in agreement, it won’t be long before you’re transformed into Arthur Hastings, MP in the House of Commons.”