The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-23 00:00:00

NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

Lord J. RUSSELL said there was another subject on
which he wished to ask a question of the right hon. the
home Secret►ry. With regard to the system of national
education in Ireland he had understood the right hon. gen•
dental' to say, that he did not propose the inquiry should
take place in the present session; and any alteration of that
system was a matter of the •ery greatest importance.
(hear, hear.) Ills noble friend (Lord Lansdowne) had in-
formed him that he thought, if the alterations he bad
heard suggested were introduced, combined education would

cease to be the rule, and become the exception, and separate
education would be the rule. lie should regard that as •
very great misfortune. (Rear, bear.) Ile hoped that any
votes taken in the present year would Le distributed ac-
cording to the rules at present in force, and that no change
in the national board in Ireland would take place without due
inquiry and discussion. Such a change might lead to the most
serious results; for it seemed that the slam of combined
education in Ireland introduced by the present Prime
Minister had had the very best effects, by bringing Roman
catholic' and protestunts together in the same school, and
thereby tending to mitigate the sectarian animosities which
had prevailed. (Ileac, hear.) Ile should regret if any-
thing were done to occasion a separation, and give rise to
those religious animosities and agitations which had been
witnessed elsinvliere, as the cause of education generally
must thereby be injured. Whatever might be the value
of that argument, he hoped, at least, that an alteration
would not be made without any inquiry or any resolution.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE said he had stated, on a former occa-
sion, that it was not proposed or intended by the govern-
ment to make any alteration in the mode in which the
grant was distributed until a select committee was ap-
pointed to inquire into the system. Ile had said that if
they did move tor an immediate inquiry it was not their
intention to supersede the essential principle of that com-
bined education which had been established in Ireland, but
that their object would be to see that the grants made for
education in Ireland should be so distributed as to give

satisfaction to other parties in Ireland, and amongst others,
he had no hesitation in saying, to the members of the esta-
blished church, who certainly did not participlitc in due
proportion in the grants. Ile agreed with the noble lord
that combined education should be not the exception but
the rule; but the government thought that, consistently
with that rule, some alteration might be made that would
give A.:tirfactioa to many parties.
Lord J. ItUSSELL said ho merely wished to have the
assurance that no alteration would be made in the applica-
tion of the grant for the present year.
Mr. WALPOLE said he could answer that distinctly,
that no such alteration was contemplated. They did not
wish to do anything which would disturb the rule. Ho
wished to make one remark on !something that hail fallen
from the hon. member for Middlesex (Mr. Osborne) on Fri-
day night. lie had und, rstoosl him to say that the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland had selected his chaplains from that
branch of the clergy who were opposed to the national sys-
tem. Ile (Mr. Walpole) had authority to state that the se-
lection had not been made with that view. (Hear, hear.)
The first seven who had been selected were ministers of the
church who were in favour of that system; and the only
object of the noble lord had been to select mea whose pre-
vious lives and conduct had given the greatest satisfaction.
(Hear, hear.)

Mr. B. OSBORNE entirely coincided in the view that
had been expressed by the noble lord (Russell) es to the
proceedings in reference to the supplies. If the Chancellor
of the Exchequer had been as explicit in his place ou Friday
night as Lord Derby was in another place, ho should have
made no attempt to delay the supplies. But, professing to be
must frank,he had mystified the subject more than he hod done
before. He should not further oppose the proceeding with
the supplies ; but in reference to the course about to be pur-
sued by the government, as to national education in Ire-
land, he must say the explanation of the right hon. Home
Secretary had been most unsatisfactory and evasive. It
appeased to him the government were going to play the
same game with proteinuitiem in Ireland and in this coun-
try as they had played wi-h protection. It was said they
did not intend to alter that system. The term now for all
these measures was " modification ;" but the right hon.
gentleman would endeavour to givo satisfaction to the
clergy of the established church in Ireland. What did that
mean ? The long and tbo short of it was that they meant
to upset the system of national education in Ireland ; for
he would defy him, or any other member of the govern-
ment, to give satisfaction to that portion of the
church establishment in Ireland without completely,
ant modifying, bat destroying, the system of na-
tional education there. With respect to the appointments of
the Lord Lieutenant, it midst appear from what the right
hon. gentleman said that the present Lord Lieutenant was
the only person who had selected chaplains for the purity
of their lives. Why, of course, they all did that. (Hear,
hear.) Of course, all chaplains were selected for the
purity of their conduct. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) But
be maintained that the two first selected, the Rev. Mr.
Ooulde and the Rev. Dr. Singer, were two men distin-
guished foe their opposition to the system of national
education. (Mom, hear.) Us hoped this question would
be brought en early in the ensuing parliament, and that
the financial Secretary of the Treasury (Mr. G. A. Hamil-
ton) would not go and tell one story to his constituents in
Dublin and another to that house, but would stick to the
motion he had placed on the paper for a modification of
the system ; so that the systems of protection and education
might be fairly brought forward in the next parliament.
(Hear, hem.)
THE APPROACHING RECESS.
Lord R. GROSVENOR said it would be very convenient
if the government would state, either that night or the
following, on what day they proposed to move the adjourn-
ment for the Easter recess. (Hear, hear.)