§ Mr. CHARLES CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Faculty of Arts of Queen's University, Belfast, has recently passed a resolution to alter the regulations relating to the degrees of the university, so that scholastic philosophy, which heretofore has been accounted one of a number of optional subjects specified for degrees in arts, shall in future be subdivided into three subjects, namely, scholastic logic, scholastic metaphysics, and scholastic ethics, in each of which subjects separate courses of lectures shall be delivered, and each of which subjects may be selected as a separate option; and whether he is aware that there are already chairs of logic, metaphysics, and moral philosophy, and why it is proposed to duplicate them?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked the right hon. Gentleman (1) whether he is aware that the present lecturer in scholastic philosophy in Queen's University, Belfast, has applied to have his lectureship raised to the status of a professorship and to have separate lecturers appointed to assist him in teaching scholastic logic and ethics; and whether he will take steps to prevent public money being thus spent on denominational teaching; and (2) on behalf of what portion of the community or what religious denomination has the demand been made in the professedly non-sectarian Queen's University, Belfast, to provide separate courses of lectures in logic, metaphysics, and ethics, all taught from the scholastic standpoint?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have referred these three questions to the authorities of the university, who inform me that no resolution of the Faculty of Arts such as the hon. Member describes has come before them; nor has any suggestion been made to them by the lecturer in scholastic philosophy or anyone else that his position should be raised to that of professor, or that separate lecturers should be appointed to assist 1056 him. No representations whatever have been made by any portion of the community or by any religious denomination with reference to the provision of separate courses of lectures in logic, metaphysics, and ethics from the scholastic standpoint.
§ Mr. CHARLES CRAIGIn view of the fact that the information I have is in direct contradiction to that which the right hon. Gentleman has given, I beg to say that I will put down a question on this subject at an early date.