The Caput formexly consisted of two individuals only—the Vice-chancellor and the Provost of Trinity College—but now of three members, the Senior Master Non-Regent having been added to the original two,[1] when the number of Masters increased. Each member of the Caput has a veto upon every grace for a Degree, to prohibit its being proposed to the rest of the Senate; or if proposed, to render it null and void.
This, it has been said, is a very extreme power, giving each member of the Caput separately an irresponsible veto upon every proposed grace for a Degree. Recent legislation, however, has increased this power, and given a veto to each member of the Caput, not only upon graces for Degrees, but also upon every law, bye-law, or grace whatsoever, proposed to them by the Provost and Senior Fellows; and no grace for any purpose whatsoever can be proposed to the Senate which has not first been adopted by the Provost and Senior Fellows.—See the Letters Patent, 21 Vict.
It should be remembered that a body like the University, not bound by oath, or even by any promise to obey the Vice-Chancellor, required some very strong measure to hold them to their duty. What could be more effectual than a power given to every individual member of the Caput of stopping all Degrees and nullifying the proceedings—especially as the members of
» " Cum AcademisB apud nos con- separatim turn Pro-Cancellarii, turn ventus paucis adhuc regentibus et Prsepositi impedire quo minus reliquo non regentibus constet, minlme con- Senatui proponatur ; et si quando sentaneum esse duximus in Capitis propositafuerit,voceneganteeandem. numerum plures ascisscere quam Tpevimere.^^— Templets Stat., cap. 17. duos, ne suffragiorum negantium Compare this with cap. 2 of the more multitudo rebus gerendis obstet. Ca- recent Statutes that we have called put igitur de Pro-Cancellario et Col- Taylor's. Temple distinguishes by legii Trinitatis Praeposito constitutum the term "Full Degree," those De- est. Capitis autem authoritas in grees which have been publicly con- quavis Academica congregatione hu- ferred in the Senate, in contrast with jusmodi existat : si qua petitio ad those which have received only the gradum vel quid aliud consequendum Private Grace of the Provost and
ofFeratur, esto In potestate et arbitrio Fellows.
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