Oxford University Act 1854

The Oxford University Act 1854 made substantial changes to how Oxford University was administered. It established the Hebdomadal Council as the university's governing body; appointed Commissioners to deal with emoluments and variations in historic endowments; and opened the university to students outside the Church of England, as there was no longer a requirement to undergo a theological test or take the Oath of Supremacy. In practice, this allowed many more Scots to attend the university. In 1850, a parliamentary commission was set up to revise the statutes drawn up by Archbishop William Laud. The original Bill proposed by Lord John Russell was much more limited in scope, however dissenters effectively mobilised, threatening to block the bill, unless the theological tests were dropped. ==Theological tests==

The subject of dropping the theological Test was not new as James Heywood described in the parliamentary debate: ==See also==