§ MR. MOOREI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if, in view of the correspondence of the Rev. Mr. Gray and the 692 Provost of Trinity College, he will now state if he amended or altered the proof of the Provost's speech at Manchester on the University question before its delivery; and, if so, what were these alterations, and does he now accept responsibility for them.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe learned Provost of Trinity College has already made it plain that I never asked him directly or indirectly to make any speech either at Manchester or elsewhere. The Provost told me he was going to make a speech and asked whether I objected to his saying that the Government did not propose in their University legislation this session to do anything affecting the status or revenues of Trinity College. I told him he was at perfect liberty to say so if he wished to do so. The next day the Provost sent me two short typewritten paragraphs which he proposed to incorporate in his speech. The first paragraph, relating to the status and revenues of Trinity, was not altered by me, but the second paragraph appeared to me to contain one or two expressions which might suggest, contrary to the facts, that the Provost was speaking on my behalf, and accordingly I made in pencil one or two alterations with the object of rendering that criticism impossible. I returned the two paragraphs to the Provost, and after that thought no more of the matter.
§ MR. MOOREWhen the right hon. Gentleman stated to the House that he had not read the speech, but had a portion of the proofs of the speech beforehand, was he not rather unintentionally misleading the House?
§ MR. BIRRELLI am very sorry that under the pressure of an interruption I said that I had not read the speech. It is true that I had not, and I have not now. But I am sorry if I used language which might seem discourteous to the Provost, whose hospitality I had accepted and for whose straightforward character I have the greatest possible regard. But it is the fact that I have not read the speech; and it is one of the advantages of my position that it is not necessary for me to read speeches.
§ SIR WILLIAM ANSONWhen are we likely to have the Bill, the purport of which was indicated in the speech?
§ MR. BIRRELLI am very much obliged for this Question being put to me. I hope that before the end of this month I shall have an opportunity of unfolding this measure to the House.
§ MR. MOOREMay I remind the right hon. Gentleman that in a written Answer to the Member for Cambridge University he made the same statement about not having read the speech?
§ MR. BIRRELLAnd I have not read it.