§ On the Order for the Second Reading of this Bill,
§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)said, he rose to take exception to the Second Reading. The Bill sought to deal very unjustly with Foyle College, an old-established institution in Londonderry, and with its head master.
§ MR. VESEY KNOX (Londonderry)thought he would relieve the mind of the hon. Member. He understood that the Irish Society had come to an arrangement with the headmaster, and that that gentleman's objections to the Bill had been entirely removed. He received this information from the solicitor to the Irish Society.
§ MR. JOHNSTONsaid that, subject to that understanding, and with the 184 further understanding that justice would be done to the rights of parents, he would not pursue his observations. At the same time, nothing that he had yet learned enabled him to take a favourable view of this Bill, which proposed to abrogate an old-established institution, and one which had been famous for many years. The Bishop of Derry, now Primate of All Ireland, had not signed the memorial in favour of this amalgamation. He must enter his protest against the Second Reading of this Bill.
§ MR. KNOXsaid, he had put down a Motion for the rejection of this Bill, because he thought it was not a Bill which ought to be allowed to go through unless the promoters—the Irish Society—would make provision for the secular education of children of other denominations—Roman Catholic, for instance. He was glad to say that, by friendly arrangement with the Irish Society, such provision had now been made; and he wished to be allowed on this occasion to bear his word of testimony to the more liberal spirit which the Irish Society in recent years had shown, which, he believed, was large due to the present Governor—Mr. Phillips. On the point to which the hon. Gentleman opposite had referred, he had made it his business to inquire whether, on the whole, the Bill was approved by his constituents, and so far as he was able to discover, subject to one or two small points, it did meet with the general approval of the people of Derry. He, therefore, heartily supported the Second Reading.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.understood that all parties concerned had come to an arrangement upon this Bill, and, therefore, he hoped that the hon. Member for Belfast would not oppose the Second Reading
§ Bill read 2a, and committed.