§ MR. COWPER-TEMPLEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it be true that the bye-law passed in 1876, by the Senate of the Queen's University for the admission of women to examination for degrees in art and medicine, has been thwarted and rendered inoperative by a refusal on the part of the Councils of Professors of the Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Galway, and Cork, to admit any of the female students who presented themselves for matriculation?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS - BEACHI have no official knowledge of the proceedings of the Councils of the Queen's 1100 Colleges; and I have not been able to obtain in the short time that has elapsed since the right hon. Gentleman gave Notice of his Question, full information as to what may have passed in them on this subject. But, so far as the information enables me to reply, I do not think that any action taken by them can fairly be described as thwarting or rendering inoperative the bye-law of the University allowing women to be admitted to examination for degrees in arts or medicine. I may remind the right hon. Gentleman that the Government have no authority over the College Councils in such matters; and it appears to me that, even if they had, any attempt by the Government to compel them to act in a certain direction, would be contrary to the spirit of the law under which they were established.