The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-17 00:00:00

THE IRISH APPOINTMENTS.

Mr. OSBORNE was willing to leave this important
question to the Secretary and Under-Secretary for War ;
but he wished to draw attention to the appointments of
the new government in reference to the administration of
justice in Ireland. He asked if the reports of the legal
appointments in Ireland were true ; whether Mr. Black-
burne at the age of 85 had been created Lord Chancellor
instead of Mr. Brewster, while Mr. Napier, who was deaf,
had been made Lord Justice of Appeal • and all this at
the instance of Mr. Whiteside. He also complained that
no Irish Lord of the Treasury had been appointed. He
wished to know what was the plan hinted at by Mr.
Disraeli for stopping the emigration from Ireland.
General PEEL was unable to give any information as to
the 'majority in the 11th Hussars, but it was usual to
brinf in Dome officer from half-pay. With regard to breech-
loading rifles he had received letters from the military
commissioner of this country with the Prussian army,
urging the immediate adoption of that arm in our service.
It was necessary to come to a decision at once ; and he
found that the late government had arranged for the con-
version of the existing into the Snider rifle, and he had
determined to carry on that conversion as rapidly as pos-
sible ; and he hoped to get 200,000 by the end of the
present financial year ; and as fast as they were con-
structed they would be placed in the hands of the troops.
Beyond the question of conversion no decision had been
come to as to what the future arm of our troops should
be.

The Marquis of HARTINGTON explained that the
order that he hail given for 20,000 Enfield rifles to be con-
verted was given in February last, and he was prepared,
on receiving further reports on the subject, for a large ad-
ditional number.
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, IRELAND.
R. PEEL dro►

Sir It. x wr attention to the resent proceedings
in regard to a supplemental charter for the Queen's Uni-
versity in Ireland, and said that it was apparent that the
late government intended to deal with the question of
Irish university education, and in February last he re-
ceived from Mr. Gladstone a statement that the changes
proposed did not infringe on existing principles, and that
right hon. gentleman then gave a distinct pledge that no
change should be made until the house had been consulted

or made acquainted with what was intended before the
crown was asked to do any formal act. Notwithstanding
action of the most decisive character had been taken without
the knowledge of the house.
Sir G. GREY defended the course taken by the late
government, and asserted that that government bad
pledged themselves to give the Queen's University
the power of conferring degrees on affiliated colleges hide-
pendent of the Queen's College ; in fact to place the uni-
versity on the same footing as that of London, and that
when Sir R. Peel was a member of the government, though
he now dissented from that policy. He denied that the
late government had been guilty of any breach of faith to
the house ; for the most minute and detailed account of
the intentions of the government, contained in a letter to
the Lord Lieutenant, was laid before the house in March
last, and since then not a word had been said against the
course proposed to be pursued by the late government.
Mr. LOWE followed, with an iteration of the charges
made by Sir Robert Peel ; and in uncompromising terms
asserted that the pledge of the late government, deliber-
ately given to the house, had been broken in fact and in
apint.
Mr. C. FORTESCUE in a manner repeated the denial
of Sir G. Grey.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir H. Cairns) contended
that the alleged supplemental charter proposed by the late
government created in fact a complete change in the sys-
tem of education in the Queen's University, and urged
that, in contravention of a pledge to the contrary without
consulting the house, the late ministry, while their func-
tions were in abeyance, had obtained the signature of the
Queen, and affixed the great seal to the new charter.
Mr. LAWSON (ex-Attorney-General for Ireland) in-
sisted that the course pursued by the late government was
consistent with their pledges, for they had prepared a bill
which was to have carried out the objects which a sup-
plemental charter could not effect ; and this would have
been a mode of asking the opinion of the house.
After some observations from Mr. Macula and Sir P.
O'BRlss,
Mr. GLADSTONE said that as he had been individually
charged with breach of faith he was bound to take part ill
the discussion. He proceeded to deny that the changes
which the late government proposed to introduce into the
university education of Ireland were fundamental, and
whatever they were, Sir Robert Peel was a party to them
as a member of the government, which had fully and
distinctly stated their purpose and object in the matter ;
and every document with regard to them had been duly
laid on the table of the house. Sines June, 1865, the in-
tentions of the government were folly known, and at that
time appeared to be generally accepted by the bowie. He
strenuously urged a decision of the house whether or not
the Irish student was to be deprived of a purely civil
right—that of an academical degree—simply on religious
grounds.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER objected to
an attempt in an incidental way to obtain the opinion
of the government on the important question of Irish
education. The government would give the subject its
consideration during the autumn and winter, although if
a proper notice had been given they would have been
prepared to meet the discussion. On the present occasion.
it was unnecessary for him to say more, except in reply to
Mr. Osborne's question as to the Irish legal appointments;
and he had to say that, agreeing in the eulogy which had
been passed on Brewster, he wondered why the hon.
gentleman and his friends had not appointed him Lord
Chancellor. It was true that Mr. Blackburne had been ap-
pointed Chsnoellor, the ditties of which he was as capable
of performing as thaw of Lord Justice of Appeal, while,
as regarded Mr. Napier, besides his being an able lawyer,
it was • provision in the sot appointing a Lord Justice of
Appeal, that any ex-Chancellor might be eligible for that
office. Aa regarded the general policy of the government
towards Ireland, it was a part of that policy to propose a
Loon to railways in that country—a' measure, however,
which they inherited from their predecessors.
The house then went into oommittee of supply, and took
the votes for the collection of the revenue and the Post-
office packet service.
The other business was disposed of, and the house sa-
-1 *armed 114 a quarter peat 1 o'clock.