§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (for Mr. SEXTON)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true as stated in the "Belfast Morning News" of 14th and the "Northern Whig" of 15 May last, that the President and ex-president of the National Teachers' Organisation, the Chairman and Secretary of the Belfast National Teachers' Association, and eight associated teachers, were on Monday 7th May last brought to the Belfast Model School before Head Inspector M'Cullum and District Inspectors Gordon and Moran, with no further intimation of the cause than a line from the Head Inspector: "Please meet me at the Model School at two o'clock this day;" that these teachers were one by one brought into the Inspectors' Office and required to declare whether they had any connection with the "Irish Educational Journal; "whether they had written articles or corrected proofs for it; whether they knew the editor or reputed editors; that these teachers after being examined were prevented from leaving the office till the proceedings closed about six o'clock, an army pensioner being placed on guard at the office door; whether on a teacher declining to answer a certain question Dr. Moran said "You must answer it," and then to his colleagues, "We'll report him officially;" whether the same official said at another stage of the proceedings, "Now we are weaving a net round them;" whether there is any rule of the Commissioners of National Education prohibiting teachers from owning and editing a journal solely devoted to the cause of primary education; and, whether it is not a fact that the primary teachers of England and Scotland conduct such journals, and that the civil servants enjoy a similar privilege?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the Commissioners of National Education have no objection whatever to national teachers owning and editing a journal devoted to the cause of primary education, and there is no rule prohibiting it; but a journal called The Irish Educational Journal and National Education Gazette, purporting to be owned and edited by National teachers, has from time to time contained articles reflecting in so reprehensible a manner on the administration of the Department to which the teachers belonged, that the Commissioners felt themselves obliged to interfere, and endeavoured to ascertain who was responsible. They, therefore, ordered an inquiry which was held in Belfast. The alleged incidents at the inquiry referred to in The Belfast Morning News are unknown to the Commissioners; but they will investigate the statements.