§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether any Correspondence has passed between the Education Office, Dublin, and the manager of the school where it is alleged a Commissioner of National Education, the Rev. Hugh Hanna, took part in religious exercise at a time not set apart for that purpose in the school 1715 time table; and, whether he will consent to lay upon the Table of the House Copies of the Minutes of the Board, or of the Sub-Committee, in reference to the occurrence in question, with all Correspondence relating thereto?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have obtained, as I intimated I would, a statement from the Rev. Mr. Hanna, and also a further Report from the Commissioners of National Education. The hon. Member's original Question by its terms indicated no case of which the Commissioners had any official knowledge. It is now assumed that he intends it to refer to incidents which occurred nearly a year and a-half ago at a meeting held in a school-house at a place called Castlegarden, in the county of Down. Some correspondence did at that time pass between the Commissioners and the manager of the school, but the facts as regards that meeting do not support the allegations made with respect to the Rev. Mr. Hanna; and in justice to that gentleman I must enter into the matter at a length which I fear will be a trespass upon the time of the House. The Castlegarden vested school-house was completed and an opening meeting held in June, 1883. To that meeting Mr. Hanna was invited by the manager. The Bishop of the diocese occupied the chair. As Mr. Hanna reached the platform a hymn was given out. Mr. Hanna knew nothing of the intended programme beyond the fact that he was expected to give an address on popular education, which he did. This is the only ground for the allegations made with respect to Mr. Hanna. He did not cause a hymn to be sung, and was in no way responsible for it. The school was not in operation at the time, and did not come into operation for six weeks afterwards. The assembly was not one of scholars and teachers, but was a mixed gathering of residents in the neighbourhood. Mr. Hanna was never, as suggested in the Question, called to account for his share in the proceedings, and his name was never mentioned in the correspondence between the Commissioners and the manager of the school. That correspondence turned on the infraction by the manager of the Commissioners' rules as to the improper use of a vested school-house—that is a school-house built with the aid of the Commissioners. The manager 1716 relied upon the fact that his old school-house was non-vested, and that the new house had at the time never been used for school purposes. His breach of rule was a technical one, and the Commissioners agreed to take no further notice of it. Mr. Hanna was not responsible for it. The Commissioners do not think there is any ground upon which such a correspondence should be laid on the Table.