MR. O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to a letter of the Very Reverend Dr. Walsh, a Member of the Senate of the Royal University and of its Standing Committee, published in The Freeman's Journal of May 3rd, in which the writer states that—
As a matter of fact, neither the Senate of the Royal University, nor its Standing Committee, nor, so far as I know, any individual member of either body, has had any opportunity of in any way considering the merits of, or consequently pronouncing any opinion upon, the proposal,that Fellows of the Royal University should publish an annually revised syllabus of their lectures, with a view to securing absolute fairness of University examinations; and, whether he has any observations to make upon the letter of the Very Reverend Dr. Walsh, as it is in apparent contradiction to the statement he was understood to make that the preponderance of opinion among the authorities of the Royal University is not favourable to the proposal?
§ MR. TREVELYANWhat I said was that, so far as I had been able to ascertain, the preponderance of opinion among gentlemen in responsible positions in connection with the Queen's Colleges and the Royal University was unfavourable to the proposition contained in the hon. Member's inquiry. What I said as to the Royal University was gathered from the answer which I received from the secretaries. I have no doubt that Dr. Walsh is right in saying that the Senate and Standing Committee were not consulted. I suppose there was no time to consult them. There will be an opportunity for those interested to raise this question before the Commission.