The Bishop of Lichfieldpresented eleven Petitions from places in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, against the Ministerial plan of Education for Ireland. He did ample justice to the motives of those who proposed this plan, he imputed to them no design to favour the Catholics, but to the plan itself he strongly objected, as calculated to preclude the poor from the free use of their Bible. He conceived that the scheme would supply a very defective Christianity, and that he could not sacrifice to any consideration. In concurrence, therefore, with the petitioners, he implored their Lordships to withhold their sanction from this plan.
The Marquess of Clanricardecomplained of the misrepresentation of the right reverend Prelate regarding the nature and objects of the new education plan. There was no withdrawal of the Scriptures. If they were to have a system of national education at all, the Government plan was the only one which could be successfully adopted.
The Earl of Rodensaid, that the Roman Catholics were most anxious to attend the Kildare-street Society Schools; the priests only were opposed to the Bible. The new system was wholly inapplicable to Ireland, and was unworthy of the adoption of a Christian country. The noble Lord then presented a petition from the city and county of Norwich, from the Presbytery of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, signed by 2,758 persons; and also from the town of Dumfries, relative to the impolicy, injustice, and pernicious tendency of the new system of Irish education. It was alike inconsistent will Protestantism, and detrimental to the interest of the people of Ireland. The projected system could only strengthen Popery, which political expediency could not justify. He recommended the withdrawal of all public grants.
§ Petitions to lie on the Table.