CLASS IV.—EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND ART. (Hansard, 19 August 1881)

§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR
pointed out to the Committee that this was another instance of the evil effect of the system of postponing the Estimates to a time in the Session when useful discussion became impossible. The subject of the present Vote was one which, to be properly treated, would require a considerable amount of time. It was then nearly half-past 2 o'clock, and he should not be able to do more than refer briefly to one or two points. The last Report of the Endowed Schools' Commissioners, furnished only a few weeks ago, contained statements of a character which ought to attract the earnest attention of every Irish Member, and, as he should think, the earnest attention of the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secre- 495 tary for Ireland. The right hon. Gentleman was himself a Commissioner. The Committee would recollect that he had, in his place in the House of Commons, condemned the system of carrying over the arrears which had been scored against the tenants of Ireland on account of rent. Nevertheless, the right hon. Gentleman, being a Commissioner, was himself responsible for the same condition of things as appeared in the Report of the Endowed Schools' Commissioners. Those Commissioners had, in their Reports from year to year, admitted that they had a system of carrying forward, as against their impoverished tenants, the arrears of rent which had resulted from the Famine in Ireland, and that, too, in districts where their tenantry were not only in arrear in the payment of their rent, but whore they were so poor that they could not afford to purchase the seed necessary for sowing their land. The Committee would see from this that the Endowed Schools' Commissioners were men who treated their tenants as badly as any landlords in Ireland. As he had already pointed out, the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary for Ireland was one of the Commissioners, and the last Report of that body admitted that the Commissioners had been guilty on the very same ground of carrying forward arrears against their tenants as the right hon. Gentleman had himself denounced. The Commissioners, moreover, pointed out that they could not thoroughly attend to their work; that the schools and other property which they had to administer were in an unsatisfactory condition. They were not sufficiently paid for doing their work, and the consequence was that the establishments were going to rack and ruin. They pointed out that the schools were scarcely educating any children at all, so much so that in one of them, where 13 or 14 prizes were offered, there was not a single competitor. All these points demanded the serious attention of hon. Members from Ireland, and of the Government; but the entire question would require a considerably longer time for its discussion than they had at their disposal, and he had simply mentioned them on the present occasion in order to show what good grounds there were for taking exception to the present system of the Government in postponing Supply till the end of the Session.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, he did not see in what way he was responsible for this Commission.

§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR
said, the right hon. Gentleman was a member of the Endowed Schools' Commission ex officio.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, he had no doubt of the fact as stated by the hon. Member for Queen's County; but he thought that no Minister ought to have this sort of nominal membership of Commissions. He had no influence in the matter if he was a Commissioner, and he did not think he ought to be held responsible for the administration.

§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR
asked the right hon. Gentleman to suggest to his Colleagues the desirability of dropping these arrears, and allowing them no longer to hang over the heads of the unfortunate tenants.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, that when he saw the Commissioners he would certainly bring the subject before them.

§ MR. DAWSON
said, he was very anxious to know whether any action had been taken upon the Report of the Endowed Schools Commissioners. He had received letters from the parish priests and many of the clergy of the diocese of Dublin begging him to try to get some information with regard to this matter. There was no doubt that some of the Endowed Schools performed no functions and had no scholars. The matter was one of grave importance to the Irish people; and he trusted the right hon. Gentleman would be able to say that some action would be taken upon the Report of the Commissioners.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, the Government, of course, regarded the Report of the Endowed Schools' Commissioners as an important document, and one which would have to be considered in the same way as any other document of the kind; but it was only just that a certain amount of time should be allowed for looking into it.