§ SIR JOHN GRAYsaid, he wished to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he will place upon the Table of the House a Copy of the Communication by which the Most Reverend Dr. Leahy and the Most Reverend Dr. Deny, acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic prelates in Ireland, broke off the negotiations carried on between them and the Government for 1473 the granting of a Charter to a Catholic University in Ireland; and if there be no Letter or Communication on the subject other than those already published, if he will point to any passage in any Letter from these prelates which was understood as intimating a wish to have the negotiations broken off; and whether the communication from Dr. Leahy and Dr. Derry, dated the 31st of March, 1868, was asked for by the Government, and lent by them as suggestions and the expression of opinions on matters then under consideration, or as a final and complete scheme from which they could not deviate?
THE EARL OF MAYOSir, no communications have passed between Her Majesty's Government and the right rev. prelates to whom the hon. Member refers, except those which are upon the table of the House. With regard to the remaining part of the Question, I have to state that last year the two right rev. prelates wrote to me, enclosing a copy of a letter which they had addressed to the Earl of Derby. In that letter they state that they were deputed by the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland to enter into communication with Her Majesty's Government and to apply in their name for a charter and endowment to a Roman Catholic University. On the 14th of March, after I had made my statement in the House, I enclosed to the right rev. prelates the copy; of a memorandum which staled the plan of the Government in more detail than was able to do in my speech. On the 19th of March they addressed to me a letter which is now on the table of the House, stating seven or eight objections which they entertained to the scheme, and expressing their desire for a personal interview with myself or some other Member of the Government. That interview; took place on the 24th of March, and after a prolonged conversation—lasting, I believe, an hour and a half—it was agreed that they should state their views at length in writing, and forward them to me. That was done on the 31st of March, in the letter which is also before the House. The; Easter Recess intervening, an unavoidable delay took place; but after our return to town we took the matter into consideration, and I addressed to the right rev. prelates an answer, which has been laid upon the table. On the 16th of May I received a simple acknowledgment from Archbishop Leahy of the receipt of that communication; and so the correspondence 1474 terminated. The principles professed by the right rev. prelates having been expressed in two letters, and also at a lengthened personal interview, we were naturally led to the conclusion that those were their settled opinions, and that from them they could not depart. Now, those were opinions upon matters of principle of the highest moment. They were, at the same time, entirely at variance with the opinions entertained by Her Majesty's Government upon this most important subject; looking, therefore, at everything that has occurred, we consider the matter to be at an end, and it is not our intention to take any further step with regard to it.
§ SIR JOHN GRAYsaid, that the noble Lord omitted to answer the second part of the Question—namely—
Whether the communication from Dr. Leahy and Dr. Derry, dated the 31st of March, 1868, was asked for by the Government, and lent by them as suggestions and the expression of opinions on matters then under consideration, or as a final and complete scheme from which they could not deviate?
THE EARL OF MAYOI thought I had already answered that Question. We considered that the opinion expressed in the letter and also at the interview was a final opinion.
§ SIR JOHN GRAYthen gave Notice that upon some future occasion, on the Motion for a Committee of Supply, he would bring the whole of that Question under the consideration of the House.