MR. O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, How many students are attending the Queen's College, Cork, this session in the Faculty of Arts; how many scholarships are available for this number; how many scholarships are vacant for want of competition or otherwise; whether any action will be taken in reference to the vacant scholarships; how much of the entire grant for the Queen's College, Cork, is devoted to the Arts Department; how many of the Arts students at present attending lectures were unsuccessful candidates for exhibitions at intermediate examinations; and, how many of them failed to obtain honours at the Royal University examinations in the subjects in which they hold Queen's College scholarships?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, 36 undergraduates are attending Queen's College, Cork. There are 20 scholarships open to competition, and 10 which might be held in continuation from last year. Of the 20 two are vacant from want of competition, and five from candidates not reaching the required standard. Of the 10 three are vacant from not having been filled last year, and one from the holder not having returned to the College this session. The senior scholarships available for graduates, who are not required to attend courses of lectures, are not included in these figures. The statutes of the College empower the Council to apply the unexpended balance of the scholarship fund in giving exhibitions to unsuccessful candidates who show sufficient merit, and each year they do so apply such balance, or a large portion of it. The hon. Mem- 287 ber's inquiry as to what portion of the College grant is devoted to the Art department is somewhat ambiguous. If it is intended to refer to the salaries of Professors who hold Chairs which are wholly or in part Art Chairs, the answer is £2,728. I am going to make inquiries into the question of the relative proportion of Medical to Art students, and the manner in which the funds of the College are distributed.
MR. O'BRIENI beg to give Notice that I will call attention to the state of this College. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would inform the House whether it is a fact that five students of this College have been rusticated and deprived of the scholarships for attempting to expose the misuse of the public funds?
§ [No reply.]
MR. O'BRIENAs the right hon. Gentleman does not appear to know anything about the matter, I beg to give Notice that I will put a Question on the Paper with regard to it.
§ MR. TREVELYANReally, I think it is too much for the hon. Member to expect me to give information without giving me dates, or anything else. I am perfectly aware that several students have been punished for disorderly conduct—[Cries of "No, no!"]—disorderly conduct and insubordination, after ample investigation; and it can hardly be said that they were unfairly treated by the Staff of the College for their insubordination, the only excuse for which was that they imagined they were the subjects of inequalities. People must obey the laws of the Institution in which they are.
§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked whether out of five entrance scholarships in Literature only two had been awarded; and whether the Government would consider the propriety of issuing a Royal Commission to investigate the state of affairs in the College?
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, there were only two competitors. He could not advise the appointment of a Royal Commission.