This is a study of local government and permissive legislation in nineteenth-century Britain. It argues that permissive legislation facilitated local initiative and debate, and that local initiatives were often more effective than national legislation. In the eighteenth century, every locality which wished to improve or police its streets had to obtain its own private Act of Parliament. By the nineteenth century, when the construction of a habitable urban environment had become a matter of urgency, Parliament had recourse to `permissive' or `adoptive' legislation, which the localities were free to adopt, or not, as they chose. Parliament facilitated, but did not require, local action, and so long as initiative and responsibility remained in local hands, relations between central and local government were relaxed. In the 1850s and 1860s, the House of Commons conceived itself to be an imperial parliament, not a vestry, and Local Boards thought of themselves as parliaments in miniature. Thereafter Parliament's preference for a permissive system gradually yielded to a concern with equality of provision. Twentieth-century historians have largely written from the point of view of the centralizers and the permanent officials in the Department of State. Liberty and Locality puts the emphasis back upon Parliament, where the decisions were taken, and the localities themselves, where their consequences were felt.

This richly illustrated book traces the story of Oxford University from its origins in the Middle Ages to the present day. Written by a team of scholars, all authorities in their fields, it spans 800 years of learning and incident to give a uniquely authoritative history of the University for the general reader. Since the Middle Ages, Oxford University's part in learning has always been significant and colourful. Many future leaders of the nation have been educated there. The architecture of the University and colleges has become one of the glories of Europe, and its libraries and museums house a number of major collections. But most importantly, a university must be judged by its attachment to scholarship - a theme which runs throughout this book. Students have been drawn to Oxford from all over the world, and today the University is internationally recognized for its contribution to research, both in the sciences and in the liberal arts. Authoritative, scholarly, and informative, this book captures the richness and diversity of Oxford University, and its contribution to the nation and to the world. In addition to over 200 illustrations, including 24 full-colour plates, specifically chosen to complement the wide-ranging text, there are also 5 maps, a chronology, annotated guides to further reading, and a full index.