The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-06 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY AND NATIONAL EDUCATION IN

IRELAND.

This morning was issued, for the information of
parliament, copies of memorials addressed to the Home
Secretary and the Lord Lieutenant on the above subject.
On the 9th of August last Archbishop Wilde wrote a
short note to Sir George Grey, referring to the rumour
that modihoations were to be introduced into the system of
university education in Ireland, and asking if such infor-
mation could be imparted to him so as to enable the bishops
of his pro►isos to consider it.
Sir George Grey, in reply, referred to his speech In the
House of Commons, and, after citing the principle announced

in that speech, added that the details of the arrangements
could not be given until they had been approved of by the
cabinet. Oa the 27th of the same month Archbishop
Cullen applied for an interview on the part of the
four Boman catholic, archbishops. In his letter be said :

" The archbishops are also instructed to state that the
Bam►n catholic episcopal body, while declining to sooept
as satisfactory any arrangement which will leave prepon-
derating advantages to existing state institutions, colle-
giate or university, that have been condemned by the
catholic church, will not refuse for themselves and their
flocks concessions that may diminish the evils and injus-
tice of which they have had so long to complain ; it being,
however, distinctly understood that such acceptance is not
to be construed as an acquiescence in any form of mixed
eitmation. The archbishops are further charged to urge
upon you the cossidsration, with a view to removal, of the
grievanoes involved in the present system of national edu-
cation in Ireland, by which the catholics are denied what
is granted to the cathulios of Eastland, viz., the right of
investing their school, and the whole system of their edn-
civion with the distinctive character of catholicism."

Oa the 14th of January this year Dr. Cullen forwarded
to the Home Secretary two letters, or memorials. on
primary and university education on the part of 29 Roman
catholic archbishops and bishops in Ireland. They con-
tain, he set's, " very little more than the statements which
the four archbishops had the honour of making to you
in the interview which you granted to them, and in which
they 'nth:avowed to state, as briefly as possible, the
many disadvantages pressing oa Irish Roman catholic/ in
regard to education. I humbly confide that • just end
liberal government will take oar memorials into favour-
able oonsideration, and commence to remove the grievances
which for • long series of years have weighed heavily on
the education of Romin catholic is Ireland."

On the 30th of the same month Sir George Gray replied
that ber Majesty's government had no intention of pro-
posiog any alteration in the principle on which the Queen's
Colleges were conducted, but with a view to relieve
the large number of persons who entertained a
conscientious objection to them, they had advised
her Majesty to assimilate the Queen's University in prin-
ciple to the London University, by which lay degrees are
oonferred on students of every religions denomination
without any suspicion of interfaranee with their religious
principles. The right hon. baronet added :—" Her Ma-
jesty's government &reglad to observe that the Roman ca-
tholic prelates reoogniss in this decision on the part of the
government an intention to place Roman loathe:lice on a
footing of equality as rnpects university education with
their fellow subjects of other denominations, and they
trust that when the charter of the Queen's University,
which is now under revision, shall have been amended,
and the requisite alteration In the composition of
the senate shall be completed, the objects which
her Majesty's government have in view will be attained.
I have already informed you that her Majesty's govern.
ment are willing to advise her Majesty to grant a charter of
incorporation as a college to the institution founded in
Dublin by the Roman c,thol c archb shops, for the higher
education of ynth. But hay tor bad under their considera-
tion the draft of the charter contained in the memorial,
her Majesty's government regret that they are unable to
advise her Majesty to grant it in the form which is there
proposed. Without adverting to other points which will
require revision, her Majesty's government think it essential
that while due precaution is taken for the protection of the
faith and morals of the students in such a college, for which
purpose the archbishops might be constituted visitors, it■
governing body if it is to revive a charter from the crown
should not be entirely compseed of eacleriasties, but that
it should contain a considerable proportion of laymen. Her
Majesty's government hope that no practical difficulty will
be found in a ravisio of the terms of the charter with •
view to meet the objections to the form in which it has
been proposed. They are willing, if it should be
desired, to suggest the form in which they think
the charter might properly be granted. With re-
ference to the other points adverted to in the me-
morial, I have to inform you that her Majesty a govern-
ment do not intend to propose to parliament that an en-
dowment should be given to the Roman catholic college,
but they are willing favourably to consider the proposal
that parliament should be asked to grant a sum, se is demo
in the ease of the London University, for the purpose of
providing bourses or scholarship open to competition to all
students without di arinction who are members of the univer-
sity. Her Majesty's government are not aware that power
has ever been granted by charter to any college to affiliate to
itself colleges or schools. A charter giving such a power
appears to be appropria'a exclusively to an university. Her
Majesty's government menet sure that they clearly appre-
hend the messing of the two paragraphs in the memorial
as to' the testa of knowledge,' but if as they desire the
senate of the university should be so constituted as to
entitle it to the confidence of persons of different religious
denominations, they think that it may safely be entrusted
with the regulation of all matters of detail as to the time,
manners, and matter cf examioa'ions."
On the 11th of last month Archbishop Cullen informed the
Home Secretary with regret that the prelates were all of
opinion that the promises held out to them in his letter
were far from corresponding to the hope which they bad
, entertained ; they were not will ng, however, to give any
I decided opinion until they had seen the proposed charter of
' the new university and the draft of a charter for the
Roman catholic, university college, in the form in which
the government would consider it admiss able. Three days
later Sir George Grey wrote to sac that he hoped in a very
short time to send the dornments referred to, adding that
he had forwarded to the Lord Lieutenant the memorial
from the prelates on national education in Ireland, with a
request that it be communicated to the Commissioners of
National Education for their observations, their attention
being specially called to the statements contained in the
memorial with reference to the model schools.
The rest of the return consists of copies of memorials
presented to the Lord Lieutenant on the subject of univer-
sity education, from the Queen's University, and from the
presbyterian and other bodies in Ireland.

Heavy snowstorms have fallen in the Isle of
Wight. In some pule of the island the snow le lying
three inches deep.