HC Deb 20 May 1895 vol 33 cc1596-7
MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether the Irish Government have agreed to the rules drawn up by the Commissioners of Education in Ireland regarding the Christian Brothers' Schools?

MR. J. MORLEY

The correspondence between the Commissioners and myself is still proceeding. I have not yet been able to agree, so far, to the terms proposed. I understand there is a meeting of the Commissioners to-day to consider the terms of a further reply. The hon. Member need be under no apprehension that I shall fail to lay the Papers before the House before any decision is finally carried out.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

As I understand it, the Lord Lieutenant has declined to sanction the rules passed by the Commissioners, and the right hon. Gentleman has conveyed an intimation to that effect. Has the right hon. Gentleman submitted any other proposal to the Commissioners for their acceptance, or what are they meeting about?

MR. J. MORLEY

Without the slightest desire to conceal anything from the House until the whole of the negotiations are complete, this is a very inconvenient way of presenting to the House and the country the course of things. I did not say the Lord Lieutenant had refused to sanction the rules. The rules were submitted to us for the sanction of the Lord Lieutenant. We showed some reason to the Board why those rules were unacceptable. We made a proposal of our own, and that is under their consideration. It would be convenient if the question were left alone until the whole of the correspondence is in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant.

MR. W. REDMOND

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether it is a fact that the rules he declares are unacceptable to himself and the Lord Lieutenant, received the sanction of the great majority of the Commissioners, including the Protestant and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin?

MR. J. MORLEY

I think that would be anticipating the full and proper account of what is taking place, so I hope the hon. Member will excuse my not going further into the matter.

MR. W. REDMOND

said, that as this was a matter in which the public were concerned, he would put a question on the Paper when the Chief Secretary thought it convenient.