The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-24 00:00:00

MAYNOOTH.

Two enormous blue•booka have just been issued from the
parliamentary printing.o ; ce, containing the report of the
Maynooth Commissioners appointed in ItiO3, with vols.
minous appendices, and a portion of the minutes of evi.
deuce. _ _

The report itself, which is dated the Ist of March, occti.
pies some sixty pages, and refers to the origin and history
of the College of Maynooth, its government and manage.
ment, its discipline, its studies, the effects of the increased
grant, and the means of effecting proposed changes.
The opinions of the commissioners on the present state
of the college, and their recommendations, present the fol-
lowing salient points :
The commissioners suggest a change in the constitution
of the board of trustees (viz., that a certain number of
trustees should vacate their places in rotation and be sec.
seeded by others) as likely to infuse greater energy bits
the board. They also object to the present constitution of
the college council, and advise the appointment of two
councils—one of discipline and one of studies.
As regards the discipline of the college, the system has
been complained of as being defective in many respects—
viz., that there is no effectual supervision—that there is too
marked and wide a separation between the superiors and
the students—and that larger and better regulated spiritual
instruction is needed. The commissioners, referring to
the mode of training 0 St. Sulpice and All-Hallows, and
its applicability to Ireland, reserve the point, and have
contented themselves with supplying the trustees with the
best means of coming to a practical conclusion, by circu-
lating questions among foreign colleges for ecclesiastics.
As regards the studies of the college a chief defect is
noticed in the entrance examination—viz., the want of an
adequate test of the candidates' knowledge of English,
and a remedy is suggested fur it. The general course of
study embraces the classics, English literature, the exazt
sciences, bible history, logic, ethics, metaphysics, natural
philosophy, and divinity. The opinion formed by the
commissioners upon the efficiency of the studies in the
humanity and rhetoric classes under the present system is,
on the whole, unfavorable. The tutorial system is much
required ; as it is, there appears to be a vast amount of
cramming by means of lectures, the students being gene-
rally very ill-prepared by previous education to appreciate
them, while there is no stimulus to private study. It is
recommended that the tutorial system be introduced into
the lower classes, and that elementary instruction in
Greek and Latin (translating and parsing) should be
afforded by two assistant professors. The time allotted to
physical science is pronounced to be too short. A biennial
course of logic and physics is suggested, as also instruction
in agricultural chymistry.
As regards the divinity classes, the commissioners go-
commend the rejection of the existing text-books as in
many parts unsuited to this country, and the substitution
of a complete series of text-books prepared by the pro-
fessors and sanctioned by the college, adapted to the pre-
sent condition and :nstitutions of the country. The want
of specific instruction in preaching is also noticed.
And as regards the bearing of the teaching of the divinity
classes upon questions affecting the interests of the State
and general morality, the commissioners refer to the
evidence, which they leave to produce its own impression,
although, as they observe, it is mainly that of the heads
and professors of the college, and, so far, ex perle. From
the evidence of other parties, however—ex-students of
Maynooth, since converted to the Established Church—
combined with that of the officers of the college—in short,
as the general result of their inquiry, the commissioners
"see no reason to believe that there has been any dis-
loyalty in the teaching of the college, or any disposition to
impair the obligations of an unreserved allegiance to her
Majesty." The parties connected with the college fully
admit that a portion of the course of moral theology is
occupied with the discussion of " sins against chastity,"
and that such discussion is not devoid of danger. But
they urge in defence that such study is necessary for the
proper discharge of the duties of the confessional ; that
the study is deferred till the latest possible period ; that it
is confined to about a week or so ; and that the subject is
treated of briefly and in a learned language, and every
security taken to check pruriency and licentious curiosity.
The commissioners " are bound to say that they have no
reason to believe that these studies have had, practically,
an injurious effect upon the mind and character of the
students."

A telegraphic despatch, dated on Thursday, states
the Tamise, which left Constantinople on the 12th
of March, has arrived.
Colonel de Beville had arrived at Constantinople,
to select a spot for the encampment of 40,000 French
troops.
Captain Maberly, of the Royal Artillery, is in Ma-
drid, purchasing mules and horses for service in the
East. He is last from Valencia, where he effected
some purchases.
Advices from Poland state that that kingdom is
now filled with troops, every village having its gar-
rison. A number of dragoon and lancer regiments
are leaving for Courland to augment the army of the
Baltic under General Sievers. Russian writers pre-
tend that this general will shortly have 140,000 men
under his command.

Letters from Odessa of the 14th inst. bring a report
that Prince Menschikoff has died of typhus fever.
The report requires confirmation.

General Lord Seaton, accompanied by his staff,
visited the Curragh en Monday and Tuesday, for the
purpose of inspecting the ground selected for the
encampment of the militia force.

'llll4Bcti 2,411855.

Vrourbings in Varliamcnt.

THE EARL OF LUCAN.
Lord LEMAN made his statement of Monday at full
length. It contained necessarily a mass of techni-
calities, but the substance of his defence was as
follows. On the day of Balaklava he received three
orders. The first was not in question. The second
ran thus :

The cavalry to advance and take advantage of any op-
portunity to recover the heights. They will be supported
by infantry, which has been ordered. Advance on two
fronts.
While he was anxiously waiting for the arrival of the
infantry, which he hal been promised, in about
forty minutes Captain Nolan galloped up with the
order about which so much had been said :
Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to
the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy
carrying away the guns. Troop of harse artillery may
accompany. French cavalry is on your left.
Lord Raglan at that time fancied he saw, though
erroneously, the Russians taking the guns out of the
captured torts. On receiving this order he (Lord
Lama) told Captain Nolan that he much dis-
approved of it, thatthere was mush danger attending
; to which Captain Nolan replied in the dis-
respectful manner which has been so often men-
tioned. Lord Lucan argued that an aide-de-camp
of the commander-in-chief, which Captain Nolan
was, stood in the position of the representative of
that commander, and was entitled to the same
obedience—otherwise why not send despatches by an
orderly? He felt himself bound to execute the
movement he conceived the despatch to order,
taking every precaution to make it as little perilous
as possible. He then gave the story of the charge
itself. On the night of the action he saw Lord
Raglan, who exclaimed, " Why, you've lost the light
brigade." This he denied, saying that "he felt
obliged to carry out his lordship's orders." To this
Lord Raglan made no reply. Subsequently he saw
General Airey, to whom he said that the people at
home would view the matter in a very serious light.
General Airey treated the matter lightly, as one of
the accidents of war; but argued that the order was
not an imperative one. On this he (Lord Lucan)
emphatically disclaimed all responsibility that might
be attempted to be fastened upon him with regard to the
order in question. He did nothing until the appearance
of Lord Raglan's report, and until he had received
letters from private friends in England, stating the
unfavorable impression which was there produced.
He felt exceedingly hurt, and waited on Lord Raglan's
nephew, Lord Burghersh, requesting an interview
with Lord Raglan. The next day Lord Burghersh
said that Lord Raglan would see him if necessary,
but that he was then much engaged. It was upon
this that he proposed to write a letter explaining the
facts, and requesting Lord Raglan to send it to Eng-
land. He added that he would alter any thing in it
that might be offensive or annoying to Lord Raglan.
The letter was written. He expected it would have
been instantly despatched to England, instead of
which he found from General Airey that it was not
sent, and that Lord Raglan thought it was unneces-
sary. At subsequent interviews there was some
wrangling on the subject : Lord Raglan sent word that
be thought the letter charged him with injustice, and
Lord Lucan found great fault with Lord Raglan's
report. Ultimately the letter was sent to England,
but, meanwhile, Lord Raglan had sent to the Minister
at War his letter of observations, which led to his
(Lord Lucan's) recal. Lord Lucan commented at
length upon this letter, arguing strongly that there
was a connection between the two orders; that if the
last had been sent on account of the hesitation in
obeying the first, it would have been sufficient to
have said so; that the infantry, stated to be under
orders to advance, bad received no orders, and that
as to recovering the heights there was not a single
Russian on them. After once more adverting to the
technicalities of the action, Lord Lucan came to his
recal. His letter might have appeared discourteous to
the Duke of Newcastle—it appeared so to no one else.
As to any difference with Lord Raglan, he had acted
with him subsequently on terms of entire cordiality.
The order for his recal came as unexpectedly on
Lord Raglan as on himself. He concluded by ad-
verting to his services, which he contended had been
marked with merit, and by declaring that as a
wronged man he was entitled to a court-martial and
fair trial.
After the Earl of CARDIGAN had said a few words to
a matter of fact respecting the action,
Lord PANNURE said that he could not follow Lord
Lucan into the details of the battle, upon which he
could not presume to have an opinion. He addressed
himself to the subject of the court-martial—the real
subject of the debate—and upon which Lord Lucan
had only said a few words at the conclusion of his
address. It had appeared to the Government that
the confidence between the commander in• chief and
an officer commanding a division in his army had

THE PRESS.

bean Shaken, and that it was for the benefit of the
public service that one or other should be recalled.
A court martial in this case wiluld establish a prece-
dent which would be law for the meanest private, and
would permit any man in the ranks or out of them,
who bad been censured by his superior officer, to de-
mand inquiry. He had looked into the articles of
war, the Mutiny Act, and the customs of war, and
could see no warrant for such a course. No charge,
technically speaking, had been brought against the
gallant lord; " misconception of orders" had been
charged over and over again to officers and general
officers. Again, if a court-martial were granted, who
was to frame the charge—Lord Raglan? But he
had sires ly, by subsequent acts, condoned the
offence, and could not by the rules of war appear as
' prosecutor. The Judge Advocate? The same ob-
jection would hold even here. But h: rested his
main objection on the ground of the discipline of the
army, against the very root of which a blow would be
struca by such a course.
Lord HABDINGE said that the statement they had
just heard, alluding to private conversations, must be
considered its ex parte. No one in that house was then
competent to answer the points on which he had
entered. He then read Lord Raglan's despatch,
arguing upon the several points of it that Lord
Lucan should have used his discretion in interpreting
the order. As for the court-martial, he had con-
sulted the Adjutant-General, who had declared that
it would be impossible to grant it, on the grounds
already stated by Lord Paumure.
The Duke of RICHMOND deprecated the discussion,
and thought that Lord Lucau should not have taken
advantage of his position as a peer to make state-
ments of which ordinary men could not have had
the opportunity.
The Earl of DERBY thought that if the gallant
earl was not to have had an opportunity of vindica
ting himself, the second letter of Lord Raglan, con
taining most serious charges and imputations, should
not have been placed by a Minister of the Crown
in their lordships' hands. Lord Lucan's case was
one of great hardship, and deserving of sympathy.
Arguing on the merits of the case, he said that Lord
Lucan, in interpreting the first order, had exercised
his discretion, and subjected himself to a charge in
consequence, and he was then blamed for not exer-
cising his discretion with regard to the second
order. Lord Lucan might now be conscious that he
had a good cause—that he had had the merit during
the day of ordering a most brilliant charge—that,
with regard to the otber part of the action, he hail
courted the fullest inquiry—and he might now be
content to let the matter drop.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE regretted that a peer
should have taken of his position an advantage
which could not have been in the power cf any one
else. As for the publication of Lord Raglan's second
letter, it was rendered necessary when Lord Lucan
read in that house the letter addressed to himself by
Lord Raglan, containing his (the Duke of New-
castle's) despatch. He expressed his regret if the
order of recal of the noble earl was couched in
terms wanting in sympathy, though he thought that
sympathy was rather cut of place in official commu-
nications. In making that order he had performed
a most painful duty, but he felt that he owed it to
the service and to the country.
A short discussion followed upon the propriety of
a peer using his positio a to vindicate his character,
and the debate was brought to a close by some ex-
planations from Lord Lucan and the Duke of New-
castle on strictly private matters connected with
certain communications which had passed between
them through a solicitor, acting as the friend of both
parties.