§ MR. DILLWYNnominated the Members to servo on the Select Committee on this Bill. The hon. Gentleman said he had endeavoured to select such names as would be agreeable to both sides of the House.
§ On the name of Mr. DILLWYN being proposed,
COLONEL DUNNEsaid, although the Bill extended to Ireland not a single Irish Member was put on the list first suggested by the hon. Gentleman; and in his amended list there were only two Irish Members. This objection applied not only to this Committee but to all Committees, the Irish Members not being fairly represented. On the Committee relating to Government contracts with Steam-packet Companies Ireland was not fairly represented, much as she was interested in that question.
§ MR. SPEAKERseverally put the names of Mr. DILLWYN, the ATTORNEY GENERAL, Lord STANLEY, and Sir JAMBS GRAHAM, which were agreed to. The name of Mr. LOWE having been put,
§ MR. DILLWYNsaid, he had no wish to make the Committee exclusive. As he was informed by a report of what took place elsewhere last evening that a Committee was now considering the question of endowed schools in Ireland, he should meet the objection of the hon. and gallant Member by confining the operation of this Bill to Great Britain.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALbegged to assure the House that in its present shape the Bill did not extend to Ireland, and did not affect any school in that country in the slightest degree.
§ MR. LONGFIELDcontended that Irish interests were distinctly embraced in this measure—first, because that portion of the kingdom was not distinctly exempted; secondly, because the question of endowed schools was one in which she was vitally interested; and thirdly, because, though the operation of the present Act might not immediately extend to Ireland, it would be impossible that its principle could long be confined to this country.
§ LORD ROBERT CECILinclined to the opinion that the Bill, as at present worded, would apply only to England, because the Church of England was mentioned. Although the phrase was not a legal one, it was clear that the Church of England was not the Church of Ireland.
§ MR. LEFROYthought the Bill as it stood would be general in its operation; and if it were to extend to Ireland he should certainly ask for the same extension in favour of Trinity College, Dublin, as had been already extended to Oxford and Cambridge Universities,
§ MR. ROEBUCKsaid, the House would easily get out of the difficulty by inserting a clause at the end of the Bill, as was very frequently done in other cases, declaring that it should not extend to Ireland.
§ MR. M'MAHONthought that if the Bill was good for England it must be good for Ireland. He protested against this exceptional legislation, and regretted that the hon. Member should have consented to curtail the operation of the Bill to get off the difficulty of altering a few names.
§ MR. BUTTconcurred in thinking it inconvenient and anomalous to exclude Ireland. The principle of the Bill was to alter the law which assumed that "honest and godly men" meant members of the Established Church. It would be impossible to sustain a privilege in favour of the Established Church in Ireland if it were given up in England. He suggested that 1077 the Committee, as now proposed, should be nominated, and two or three Irish Members added on a future occasion.
§ MR. DILLWYNsaid, that on a future day he would move the addition of two Irish Members.
§ MR. BLACKBURNsaid, that as the Irish Members were only one sixth of the House, four in a Committee of sixteen would be more than a due proportion.
COLONEL DUNNEsaid, that in the present inadequate state of Irish representation he would assent to three Members being added.
§
Select Committee nominated:—
Mr. DILLWTN, Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Lord STANLEY, Sir JAMES GEAHAM, Mr. LOWE, Sir HUGH CAIRNS, Sir STAFFORD NOKTHCOTE, Mr. PULLER, Sir ERSKINE TERRY, Mr. ADDERLEY, Lord ROBERT CRCIL, Sir JOHN PAKINGTON, Mr. HENRY AUSTIN BRUCE, Mr. HOPE, and Mr. BAINES:—Five to be the quorum.