§ MR. PINKERTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in the case of the Royal University, Intermediate Board, and Board of Education, one-half the governing body and one-half the executive are Roman Catholics, and is there any statutory provision to that effect; has the attention of the Government been called to the constitution of Queen's College, Galway, in which the president, all the office bearers, and six out of seven of the governing body of that college are Protestants; is he aware that Sir Robert Peel pledged the Crown to the appointment of Roman Catholics whenever possible in that college; and does the Government propose to make any change in the constitution of the college.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThe Senate of the Royal University consists at present of thirty-five members (exclusive of the Chancellor), of whom nineteen are Protestants and sixteen Roman Catholics. There is one vacancy on the Senate. The Board of Intermediate Education consists of seven members, of whom four are Protestants and three Roman Catholics. In the case of neither of these bodies is their religious composition determined by statute or charter. Of the Commissioners of National Education ten must under their charter be Roman Catholics and ten Protestants. The fact is as stated in the second paragraph. I have already replied to a question similar to that contained in the third paragraph to the effect that I was unable to find any such pledge. The Government have no present intention of making any change in the constitution of the college.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAs one of the professors has no pupil at all, will the right hon. Gentleman make no change in that case?
No answer was given.