The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-19 00:00:00

GOVERNMENT AND IRISH EDI7CA=
TION.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, on
Monday afternoon, replying to a deputation from the
professfsit and students of Blackrook College, Dublin,
spoke upon university education in Ireland, and in
the sourse of his remarks said: At length it is a
matter for satisfaction that, a promise to deal with
this indefensible inequality has been made by a res-
ponsible Minister of the day—a Minister, indeed, to
whom we are under more than one most substantial
obligation in this very matter of higher education, a
former Chief-secretary for Ireland, the present Chan-
eellorof the Exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach— and
it is especially gratifying to note the form in which that
promise has been made: "The question is not to be
approached in any spirit of merely making a con-
cession to appease the clamour of a discontented
people. It is-to be dealt with on its merits, and with
the idea, not of making any unworthy compromise,
but with the sole idea and desire of spreading, as far
as possible, the great blessings of university education
in Ireland among all persons, whatever their creed,
and so far as possible whatever their class, if duly
qualified." These truly are noble words, full of
promise and of hope. (Cheers.) In conclusion, the
archbishop said: Our demand is a simple one. Let
us put it forward in its simplicity, and it must be
irresistible, for it is a demand for nothing more than
justice and equality and fair dealing. (Cheers.)
Asking for nothing more, is it unreasonable that we
should not be satisfied with anything less?
President Porter, of the Belfast Queen's College,
has issued his report on the session 1884-5. The
aggregate number of students enrolled was 449.
Attention is again directed to insafficiency of build-
ings and laboratories. Referring to the report of the
College Commission, it says that the report of Mr.
Carton and Dr. Molley differs widely in many
respects from that of the commission. In its main
features it is a repetition of letters and reports pub-
lished by Dr. Molley in the Freeman's Journal before
the commission was appointed. The strange history
of that report, the manner in which its authors
examined some of the witnesses while they refused to
hear others, the nature of the evidence on which
they chiefly rely, and of that which they controvert
or practically set aside, leave on his, Dr. Porter's
mind, the painfuL impression that they must have
been influenced by strong prejudice sgainst the
college, and that they did not exercise that
strict impartiality which ought to characterise Royal
commissions, and which alone would inspire confi-
dence in their conclusions. Had they submitted their
report to the other commissioners, or consulted them
in reference to it, which it seems to him they ought
to have done as a matter of official etiquette, then he
ventured to think erroneous statements would have
been corrected, and sonie singular and crude conclu-
sions would have been avoided. President Porter
states that the Catholic laity are not opposed to the
college, but the hierarchy have, unfortunately for
themselves and for the best interests of their people,
put a ban upon it. The ban, however, has not been
altogether effective, as the following statistics sa'cisfae-
torily show: Total students enrolled from the fowl.
dation of the college to 1883, 4074; Presbyterians,
249; Church of Ireland, 830; Roman Catholics, 234;
Methodists, 102; others, 330.