§ MR. HORSMANI wish to put a Question or two to the right hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government bearing on the University Education (Ireland) Bill, and of which I have given him private Notice. My first Question refers to a Memorial that appeared in the papers shortly before the meeting of Parliament from the Catholic Union in Ireland, and to a series of resolutions of the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops transmitted with it by Lord Granard, as President of the Union, to the 900 First Minister. I beg to ask whether there is any objection to lay upon the Table that Memorial, together with any answer returned to it. My second Question requires two or three words of explanation. On former occasions, when Governments have attempted to deal with this question of Irish University Education, they proceeded on the assumption that no scheme could be considered a settlement of the question unless it was acceptable to the Irish Roman Catholic Prelates. Consequently, in 1866 and 1868 the then Cabinets were in communication with the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and finding a settlement hopeless, the attempt failed. The Question I wish to ask is, whether the Government can inform us, before we proceed with the discussion of this Bill, that if it pass into law it will be accepted by the Roman Catholic Prelates as a removal of the grievance and a settlement of the Question.
MR. GLADSTONEI did not receive from my right hon. Friend, until a few minutes after 4 o'clock, Notice of the first Question which he has put to me, and therefore I have not had a very full opportunity of referring to the document in question. It is intituled "Declaration of the Catholic Union with respect to Education." It is signed on behalf of the Catholic Union of Ireland by Lord Granard, and was sent to me on the 15th of January by Lord Granard. I have no objection to lay it on the Table if my right hon. Friend will move for it. With regard to the resolutions of the Roman Catholic Bishops they have never, I believe, been transmitted to me. There are some resolutions of the Roman Catholic Bishops referred to in this document, but they are as old as August, 1869, and not at all communications, as I understand it, from the Roman Catholic Bishops to myself.
§ MR. HORSMANWere they transmitted by Lord Granard in January?
MR. GLADSTONEI believe not—I am not sure; but if they were they were transmitted as illustrative documents, and not by the parties signing them. Yes; on reference to this paper I see that they were transmitted by Lord Granard, but, as I say, not at all from the Roman Catholic Bishops themselves, or in any other way than as mere information. I do not think that it would be desirable that I should lay 901 them on the Table as if they had been transmitted to me by the Bishops. With respect to the second Question, I stated on introducing the Bill that we had had no communication from or with any of the bodies who had a special interest in the University Education question; and since that time the only change that has taken place is that I received from Magee College the Petition which I presented yesterday, and I have received a communication from the authorities of Trinity College, Dublin, in which they take exception to my estimate of the amount of revenue belonging to that institution, and contend that in certain cases it ought to be reviewed. Of course, they have the best means of getting at accurate information; but we shall endeavour to get the best information we can, and should any further information be obtained when the Bill comes on, it will be at the service of the right hon. Gentleman.
§ MR. HORSMANI understand that Lord Granard transmitted the declaration with the resolutions of the Bishops and a statement that the Bishops still adhered to them.