§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the attention of Her Majesty's Ministers has been directed to the report of the proceedings at the inaugural banquet of the Lord Mayor of Dublin on Wednesday last, which is published in The Times of Thursday, the 21st instant, whence it appears that Cardinal Cullen was present on the above occasion, in the 934 robes and capacity of a Cardinal Legate from the Court of Rome, took precedence in that capacity, and addressed the assembly on matters touching the Government of Ireland; and whether, assuming the above report to be substantially correct, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Ministers, it is consistent with the Laws of this Country, or with International Law, that an ecclesiastic should, in the capacity of a Cardinal Legate from the Court of Rome, be permitted, as representing that Court, but without being regularly accredited to the Court of England, or recognised in any diplomatic capacity, to interfere on public occasions of an official character, by advice or otherwise, with matters touching the Government of the United Kingdom?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, since notice was given of this question I have made inquiry respecting an event which had not before attracted my attention, and I find that the Lord Mayor of Dublin did not consult the Government as to the guests whom he should invite on that occasion. But I have made inquiries, as far as I could, with decent respect to the Lord Mayor, as to the arrangements and the motives which influenced him on the occasion in question. The invitations, which included Cardinal Cullen, had certainly nothing in them of an exclusive character. I really do not know what are the political or religious opinions of the Lord Mayor; but invitations were also extended to the Archbishop of Dublin, who was prevented from attending by some accidental cause in domestic life, to the President of the Presbyterian Assembly, and to many other distinguished members of different denominations, among them the heads of the Wesleyan body. I cannot understand that any precedence was given to Cardinal Cullen otherwise than would be given to him in any society in which he might mix. Besides the Lord Lieutenant, there was no other Peer present, and therefore, according to the rules of social etiquette, Cardinal Cullen, who is recognised as a Roman Prince, took merely the same precedence to which he would be entitled in any assembly in England, public or private. I believe he appeared on that occasion in no diplomatic capacity; indeed, I believe that there is no diplomatic capacity filled by Cardinal Cullen which is recognised, and I am doubtful whether he is really what is called a Cardinal Legate from the Court of 935 Rome. [Sir GEORGE BOWYER: He is not.] I was not quite certain on that point. I have reason to believe that Cardinal Cullen had some local rank given him with reference merely to the hierarchy of his own Church, which would allow him precedence as a Cardinal Archbishop over any other Roman Catholic Archbishop who might he present. It is pretty clear, therefore, that there is no foundation for the assumption of my hon. Friend that Cardinal Cullen acts in any diplomatic capacity in this country, or that he appeared in any diplomatic capacity on that occasion. I must take the liberty—I do not like making long answers, but I am sure the House will allow me some indulgence on this occasion of reminding my hon. Friend that a Cardinal is not necessarily an ecclesiastic. A Cardinal is a Roman Prince, and I have known Roman Princes and Cardinals who were not ecclesiastics. In fact, it is not necessary in any way that he should be an ecclesiastic. I remember a Committee of this House which, I think, was presided over by the late Sir Robert Inglis—of which, at all events, he was the most eminent Member, and that before that Committee, which was considering very delicate questions of religious interest, the late Cardinal Wiseman was summoned; Cardinal Wiseman appeared in the dress which Cardinals are accustomed to wear, and which is their right, and there were several gentlemen on that Committee whose feelings were annoyed. They protested against the appearance of Cardinal Wiseman, not only as a Cardinal, but as being in the dress of a Cardinal. Now, Sir Robert Inglis was an extremely well-informed man, though his opinions were perhaps extreme upon the question of the two Churches, and no man could suppose that he would have shrunk from expressing his opinions. He was also a man of very ceremonious manners, a highly-finished gentleman, and he perfectly well knew what was the social rank of every individual. Well, in that case, he admonished his friends on account of their zeal, which he said was perfectly uncalled for, because Cardinal Wiseman was a Cardinal, and therefore a Roman Prince, acknowledged by the laws and customs of society in this country. Sir Robert Inglis treated him accordingly with the utmost ceremony and attention. Sir, I will not say anything further, beyond expressing this feeling of my own—that I really think it is highly desirable that 936 the Roman Catholic Prelates of Ireland should mix a little more in the world, and enter a little more into society than they have done. I really believe that it would be mutually beneficial to both parties, that it would, to a great extent, terminate asperities for which there is no foundation whatever, and that it would perhaps tend to bring about those improved relations between the followers of the two religions in Ireland which, I think, every sensible man must desire.