§ MR. LESLIEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in his reply to a Memorial signed by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork on the subject of Education in Ireland, the words—
When Her Majesty's Government find themselves able to make any proposal upon any portion of the Public Education of Ireland, it will be framed in accordance with the declarations heretofore made by them on various occasions,may be interpreted as a declaration in favour of the national system of Educa- 947 tion as opposed to the denominational system?
MR. GLADSTONEI do not think, Sir, it would be convenient—and I think the hon. Member for Monhagan (Mr. Leslie) will agree that it would not be convenient—in answer to a Question to enter upon a detailed statement of the views of the Government with regard to national education in Ireland; and especially when the hon. Member speaks of "the national system of Education as opposed to the denominational system." If I were to adopt that phrase of his, I should immediately be entangled in the necessity of answering many other Questions as to the degree in which the national system in Ireland is harmonious with the denominational system, or stands opposed to it. I will, therefore, only say this—that I can sum up in one sentence what I take to be the general effect of the declarations made heretofore by Members of the Government on various previous occasions with respect to the national system in Ireland; and the sentence is to this effect—that, while before taking office and since taking office we have pointed to the system of the higher education in Ireland as requiring some material change in the public arrangements of the country to be introduced, in order to do justice to all portions of the Irish population, we have never made any such declaration with regard to the system of national or primary education in Ireland, but have always said that, as far as we were able to judge, it did not call for anything in the nature of a fundamental change.