The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-10 00:00:00

concessions.

Prince Napoleon has arrived at Naples.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

This day was issued E 4 copy of a letter dated
March 23 from the Secretary of State for the Home
Department to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland on the
subject of University Education in Ireland. After stating
the position in which the question stands at present
and the view which the government took when
the matter was brought before the House of Com-
mons last ycar,the letter goes on to say that it appeared to
the government that the most expedient course to take
would lee that which was adopted in 1861, viz., the
revocation of the letters patent, by which the exist-
ing charter was granted, and the grant of a
new one with extended powers so as to enable the Queen's
University to confer degrees not only as at present on
students from the Queen's colleges, but in addition to
these either on candidates for degrees who had pursued
a course of study in other colleges to be affiliated
to the University, or on all matriculated students
applying fur degrees, and passing the required
e lamination irrespective of their place of educe.
tion. Thus would involve a surrender of the present
charter, and the acceptance of the new one. Assuming that
such a surrender could be made, her Majesty's government
11 were of opinion that all matriculated students should have
a right, as was now the case in the London University, to
become camlidates for degrees irrespective of the place of
their education. No special advantage would then accrue to
any college from its being expressly connected with
tha university—the degrees to be conferred to be exclusive
of degrees in theology, as at present. With regard to the
mode of constituting the senate her Majesty's government
were of opinion that with a view of entitling
the senate to general confidence a judicious %e-
-1 lection should be made from persons of different
religious denominations. Out of the 17 members of the
present senate only four were Roman catholic+, of whom
one VIM an ex officio member as president of the Cork
College. Her Majesty's government felt it would be
desirable to remove this great inequality as between
protestant, and Roman esthetics, and that they
could rely on the judgment and discretion of the
Lord Lieutenant to recommend for approval, as members
of the senate, properly qualified persons for that office.
In doing this the Lord Lieutenant would bear in mind the
I deep interest felt in the question by the Presbyterians
of Ireland. With this view the government decided
to request his excellency to prepare the draft of a charter
in conformity with these views, but before doing so the
government thought it necessary to take the joint opinion
of the law officers of the crown of England and Ireland on
the question whether the proposed change in the Queen's
University could be effected with the consent of the existing
corporation, and if so, by whom and in what form such
consent could be given. They were also asked in what
other way, if any, the proposed change in the power'
and constitution of the University could be legally
effected. In the opinion of the law officers it
was undoubtedly in the power of her Majesty
oy a supplemental charter to enable the Queen's
University to grant degrees to persons who had not
received any part of their education as students in any of
the colleges of the university, and that a surrender of the
present charter would not be necessary if the object in
view could be sufficiently attained by granting
such degrees only without giving to this class
of graduates the status of members of con-
vocation or introducing them into the corporation
of the University, but that otherwise a valid revocation or
surrender of the existing charter would be indispensable,
and upon a careful examination the law officers were
of opinion that the powers both of the Chancellor
land senate, and of the Convocation were too
limited to enable either or both of these bodies
• to make any valid surrender. Her Majesty's govern-
meat, therefore, propose to submit a bill to parliament,
with a view to remove the obstacles which at present pre-
vent the accomplishment of the object they have in view.