The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-24 00:00:00

liah or Irish Universities or Public Schools. In doing
;0 the right hon. gebtlemnn briefly dwe t upon the na-
ture of the oaths in question, and observed that they
:night be all very well in the reign of Henry VIII., but
It could net be said that they ought to rem .in in the
present day, when all educational institutions uglt to
be set as free as possible. (Hear, hear.)

Sir E. PERRY seconded the motion, which was then
put from the chair.
Lord PALMERSTON said he had waited for a
moment beforo offering any observations in the hope
that some hon. gentleman more intimately acquainted
with the subject would address the house. He would
briefly state the course he intended to pursue. With
regard to the first point contained in the motion,
be had no difficulty in agreeing with the honour-
able gentleman who had proposed it ; he thought
these obsolete regulations might be advanta:eou-ly
:et aside ; but with regard to the second
point be could not go along with his hon. friend, inas-
much as it went to disturb the working of the act of
'a
-t year before its operation bad been properly tested.
(Hear.) He should have no objection to the house going
into committee on his hon. friend's bill, when its provi-
.ions might then be discussed, and be would cordially go
with that portion which swept away all those obsolete
regulations to wbiib he had alluded ; but he should re-
serve anything else he might have to say until that
time. He hoped, therefore, in agreeirg to the intro-
duction of the bill, it would be understood tLat Go-
vernment would ac'opt whatever course might seem to
there expedient. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. GLADSTONE suggested to his hon. friend the
expediency of amending his motion, as it affected one of
the fundamental statutes of the land—the Act of Uni-
formity. (Hear, hear.) He could not understand the
hill being introduced and read a second time, whereby
its principle would be affirmed, in order that it
'night be cut down to proper shape in committee ;
and he put it to his honourable friend whether
this was a proper c urse to pursue. For his own
part, as he was a patty tl the settlement of last
year, he must protest against any interference with its
provisions. (Hear, hear.) He begged of hon. gentle-
men not to commit themselves to any expression of
opinion on so vital a matter, which affected, as it did,
the fundamental settlement of some of the great institu-
tions of the country. These questions ought not
to be renewed from year to year ; if they were, the
house must make up its mind to have little else to do
than discuss them. The proper way to arrive at the
desired end was to do so step by step. Commissions
had sat relative to the universities, and, with regard to
Oxford, important recommendations had been made,
altering the condition of those who were not intended for
the Church of England. That university had manifested
a desire to forward the object aimed at by the
House in those commissions, and had behaved
with perfect good faith. Seeing this disposition
had been manifested, and seeing that it must take a long
time to perfect any new arrangements, be thought the
house ought not at present,to interfere. He for his part
would give to any interference with the settlement of
last year a most decided opposition. (Hear, hear.) He
trusted, therefore, his hon. friend would amen I his mo-
tion so as to meet this view of the matter. (Hear.)
Lord GEORGE MANNERS thought the house
would do very unwisely in opening up this vast question
at the present time. He quite agreed with the nohle
lord (Lord Palmerston) that all these ebeelete forms
ought to be abolished ; but he recommended his hon.
friend to modify his motion. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HEYWOOD expressed his willingness to meet
the opinions of hon, gentlemen by altering leis motion ;
but he complained that, in the case of the Dublin Uni-
versity, the sacramental test was still enforced, whilst
it had been discontinued everywhere else. (Hear, hear )
Mr. Heywood then rad his motion as modified,
ending with the words "religious tests," and said it
would he for the committee to determine what should be
done afterwards.

M-. DISRAELI thought it was extremely unwise that
the house should go into committee on a statute in an
act of no less sol- mnity than tl e Act of Unif ,rmity with
no clear notion of what the hon. gentleman intended to
do, and when the noble lord at the head of the Govern-
ment had expressed his sentiments in a manner which
indicated that he was totally unacquainted with what
was the intended object of the motion. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HEYWOOD explained that the only object he
had in view was to allow boys to attend grammar
schools and colleges, without having any religious obli-
gations imposed up at them which were not contem-
plated by their parents. (Hear, hear.)
Afther a few words from Mr. HARCOURT VERNON
and Mr. HENLEY,

Sergeant SHEE said his hon. friend the member for
Lancashire had done himself an injustice in the manner
in which he bad altered his motion, inasmuch as he had
not in the slightest degree indicated what religious testa
he intended to abolish. If his hon. friend would termi-
nate his motion at the word " education," the object of
the moti"n would then be manifest. (Hear, hear )
Mr. HEYWOOD said be would adopt the suggestion
of the learned sergeant. (Laughter.)
After some further conversation, the motion, as again
altered, was negatived without a division, owing to the
hon. mover having mistaken the forms of the house as to
the mode of putting the question.