§ MR. KEOGHSir, I rise to put a question to the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer with respect to the grant to the College of Maynooth, of which I have given notice. It will be in the recollection of the right hon. Gentleman, that in the year 1845, a Bill was introduced in this House by the late Sir Robert Peel, conferring upon the Royal College of Maynooth a grant of 30,00l. a year. That Bill, Sir, was carried through this House, after it had received an opposition, conducted with his wonted ability, by the right hon. Gentleman himself. It was subsequently carried through the other House of Parliament by the noble Lord now at the head of Her Majesty's Government, and it became law. I have seen, as I have no doubt many Members of this House have also, that some Members of the present Administration have lately declared, upon the hustings, that they have it in contemplation to repeal that Act; and it must be known that, throughout the country, the opposition to that Act—[Cries of "Order, order!"]—I am merely explaining the subject—has been very generally taken up at the elections. [Renewed cries of "Order!"] Well, then, Sir, as I think it very desirable that something certain should be known of the intentions of Her Majesty's Government upon this subject, I hope that I shall receive the same candid answer which was given upon another subject—that of Ministers' Money—by the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I shall conclude by putting the question, of which I have given notice—"Is it the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce, either in this or the next Session of Parliament, any measure to repeal the Act conferring the grant upon the Royal College of Maynooth?"
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, in answer to the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Ath- 86 lone, I have no hesitation in saying, that it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Ministers, in the present Parliament, to propose any Bill for the repeal of the grant to the Royal College of Maynooth, to which he refers; and, generally speaking, I beg to observe, that it appears to me that specific measures, to be brought forward upon any subject whatever, in a Parliament which is not even elected, are not questions upon which any Government ought to be asked to give any pledge.