About 1830 a custom arose for the respondent and opponents to meet previously and arrange their arguments together. The discussions then became an elaborate farce, and were a mere public performance of what had been already rehearsed. Accordingly the moderators of 1839 took the responsibility of abandoning them. This action was singularly high-handed, since a report of 30 May 1838, had recommended that they should be continued, and there was no reason why they should not have been reformed and retained as a useful feature in the scheme of study. On the result of the acts, a list of those qualified to receive degrees was drawn up. This list was not arranged strictly in order of merit, because the proctors could insert names anywhere in it, but by the beginning of the eighteenth century this power had become restricted to the right reserved to the vice-chancellor, the senior regent, and each proctor to place in the list one candidate anywhere he liked--a right which continued to exist till 1828, though it was not exercised after 1792. Except for the names of these "honorary optimes," this final list was, until 1752, arranged in order of merit into wranglers and senior optimes, junior optimes, and poll-men; after 1752, the wranglers and senior optimes were placed in separate classes. The bachelors on admission to their degrees took seniority according to their order on this list. The title _wrangler_ is derived from these contentious discussions; the title _optime_ from the customary compliment given by the moderator to a successful disputant, _Domine ..., optime disputasti_, or even _optime quidem disputasti_, and the title of _poll-man_ from the description of this class as οἱ πολλοί. The final exercises for the bachelor of arts degree were never huddled, and until 1839 were carried out strictly. University officials were responsible for approving the subject-matter of these acts. Stupid men offered some irrefutable truism, but the ambitious student courted reputation by affirming some paradox. Probably all honour men kept acts, but poll-men were deemed to comply with the regulations by keeping opponencies. The proctors were responsible for presiding at these acts, or seeing that competent graduates did so. In and after 1649 two examiners were specially appointed for this purpose. In 1680[36] these examiners were appointed by the senate with the title of moderator, and with the joint stipend of four shillings for everyone graduating as a bachelor of arts during their year of office. In 1688 the joint stipend of the moderators was fixed at £40 a year. The moderators, like the proctors, were nominated by the colleges in rotation.