§ MR. GRAYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, with regard to the Return of last Session relative to the Royal University of Ireland, which, after setting forth,
the number of undergraduate students in Arts, of the first and second years respect lively,attending the Queen's College, Cork, in the Session 1882–3, purports to state, as a distinct Return,the number of Arts students in attendance who have passed the matriculation examination of the Royal University in 1881 and 1882;whether the number of Arts students thus returned as having "passed the Royal University examination of 1881" is 62; whether he will communicate with the official by whom this Return was made, so as to obtain the names of these 62 students, and thus enable honourable Members to test the accuracy of the Return by comparing it with the list of matriculated students in the Royal University Calendar; and, whether, in the event of the Return being thus discovered to be substantially incorrect, stops will be taken, by the issue of a Royal Commission or otherwise, to obtain more trustworthy information as to the actual condition of the Cork College?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, this is a Question which is rather hard to answer in words; but will endeavour to make my meaning clear. I find that, owing to a slight typographical error, which, it is to be regretted, was not discovered when the proof of the Return was being read of last Session, the figure 62, which the hon. Member quotes, is undoubtedly misleading. The corresponding figure for Belfast College is 77; and a note appended thereto explains that this number includes students on the books of the College before the dissolution of the Queen's University, and who became, by the terms of the Act 42 & 43 Vict., matriculated students of the Royal University, by a self-acting process. This note was intended to apply also to the 1009 figure 62 for Cork College; but the typographical mark to indicate the reference was accidental omitted. The College officials who supplied the figures were in no way responsible for this.
§ MR. GRAYIs the right hon. Gentleman in possession of the proper number of students who passed in 1881?
§ MR. TREVELYANNo: but I will ascertain.