§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state 1111 when and by whom, and to whom, was the promise made to provide further funds for Queen's College, Belfast; has any public statement of this promise been made; and whether his attention has been called to the statement made by the late Prime Minister, that it was absolutely impossible for him, with decency, to go to the House of Commons and say he wanted £3,000 or £4,000 a year more for Queen's College, Belfast; and to the further statement made by the same Gentleman on April 13th, 1905, that "one thing is certain, this House cannot provide the means; it is impossible for any Government or any Chief Secretary to come to this House and ask for additional funds for Queen's College, Belfast, while leaving wholly untouched the grievances which have been brought forward as to the condition of other educational institutions in Ireland."
§ MR. MCKENNAIn 1893 the Treasury refused to sanction certain new works at Belfast on the ground that "the time has now come when grants to the buildings of the Queen's colleges in Ireland should no longer be given unless efforts are made by the localities chiefly interested to meet the grant by Government by a substantial contribution from private sources." The present grant of £5,400 has been placed on the Estimates for 1906-7 in order to meet the local effort which has been made in accordance with this suggestion. I was not aware of the statements of the late Prime Minister to which the hon. Member refers; and the present Government cannot, of course, undertake any responsibility for them. But I think the right hon. Gentleman was probably referring to increases of the permanent endowments of the colleges, rather than to occasional grants for the erection or extension of buildings, such as Parliament has been accustomed to make for many years past whenever a case for assistance has been made out on behalf of any of the colleges.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDHas the hon. Gentleman taken occasion to read the speech of the late Prime Minister, made on April 13th, 1905, in which he said it was impossible for any Government or any Parliamentary Secretary to come to this House and ask for additional funds for Queen's College, Belfast, while 1112 leaving wholly untouched the grievances of other institutions?
§ MR. MCKENNASince the hon. and learned Gentleman put down the Question I have referred to the speech of the right hon. Gentleman, and I am confirmed in the view that I take, that he was only referring to endowments and not grants for buildings, because since that time grants have been made for such buildings.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Are the present or the late Government responsible for the existing system?
§ MR. MCKENNAThe actual reckoning of part of the Estimates was made by the late Government, but the present Government is bound to accept the whole responsibility of the Estimates as they are actually presented to this House.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThe hon. Gentleman has not answered the first part of my Question—by whom and to whom was this promise given?
§ MR. MCKENNAI thought the hon. Gentleman would have interpreted the reply that there was not an actual promise, but an implied promise.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYThe hon. Gentleman says he is not responsible for the pledges of the late Government contained in this Question. Is he responsible, or are the late Government responsible for promising this money?
§ MR. MCKENNAThe present Government is undoubtedly responsible for placing on the Estimates the sum of £5,400 for buildings for Belfast.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDHas not the hon. Gentleman said that the reason they made this Estimate was that they felt bound to carry out the promise made last year by the late Government?
§ MR. MCKENNAThat is certainly true; but the Estimate, as a matter of fact, is presented to this House by the present Government.