§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of 1478 Education whether the provisions of the Catholic Emancipation Act (10 Geo. IV., c. 7., s. 16) which prohibit Catholics from holding any office or place whatever, by whatever name the same may be called in the universities or colleges of Eton, Westminster, or Winchester, or any college or school within this realm, are still in force; if not, why are these provisions printed as unrepealed in the last edition of the revised statutes; and if they have not been abrogated, will he take advantage of the present Education Bill to repeal same.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.As regards England and Wales, with which alone the Board of Education are concerned, I am not aware of any general repeal of the disability referred to. A foot-note to "the statutes revised" (to which the hon. Member refers) states (volume 4, page 879), "so much of the Act as relates to any of the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, or any college therein, is repealed." (34 and 35 Vic, cap. 26, sec. 8.) As regards "any college or school within this realm," the Answer raises very difficult legal questions, on which I have no authority to offer an opinion. I may add that an analogous disability as regards obtaining or holding the mastership of similar colleges and schools by Protestant Dissenters is to be found in the Nonconformist Relief Act, 1779, Section 3. As regards the second paragraph, I am not responsible for the issue of the statutes revised As regards the concluding paragraph, I may say that my attention has only now been drawn to the point, if it be one, in regard to those disabilities, and it shall have my careful consideration.