The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 25.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
MA 1".100T.LI COLLECTE ADJOURNED DE

BATE.

On the order of the day for the resumption of the ad-
journed debate,
Mr. Sergeant MURPHY rose for the purpose of op-
posing the motion of the Hon. Member for North War-
wickshire, but it must not be supposed that he was
opposed to inquiry, for ho was of opinion that the result
of the most stringent inquiry would redound to the credit
of the Maynooth College.—(Hear.) The conclusion of
such inquiry, he believed, would satisfy every impartial
person that Maynooth College was an institution which
had answered the purpose for which it was intended,
and in which the soundest moral doctrines and the
strictest loyalty were taught.—(Bear, hear.) Why,
then, be might be asked, do you oppose the motion?—
(Hear, hear.) He would tell them. The inquiry was
proposed in a mean spirit of retaliation upon the Roman
Catholic body, and it was not brought forward in good
faith.—(Hear, hear.) At first the motion was
absolutely against the grant to Maynooth, and so the
notice of motion remained on the votes down to
the end of February, when an additional notice of mo-
tion for an inquiry was placed upon the paper, and the
previous notice was still allowed to remain standing.—
(Hear, hear.) But shortly after this period her Ma-
jesty's present advisers came into office, and as, no doubt,
the original motion was discovered to be a difficulty in
their way, the notice of motion for the absolute discon-
tinuance of the grant to Maynooth was expunged from
the yotes.—(Hear, hear.) So far, then, for the
first. Now for the second. What necessity
was there for it? He insisted that there was
none, because some few years ago a commission was ap-
pointed by the Crown to examine into the doctrines
taught in Maynooth, and that investigation ended, as all
others would de, in establishing not only the soundness,
but the validity and scrupulous morality of the princi-
ples taught and inculcated in the minds of the students
at Maynooth.—(Hear, hear) All the charges which
had previously been made against the collage were
thoroughly refuted, and the insinuation that uttramon•
tane views were entertained by its professors
was denied in the report prepared by the
Commissioners.—(Hear, hear.) Where, then, would be
the benefit of instituting a second inquiry? If the mo-
tion was intended to put the House in possession of more
information upon the subject he could assure the House
that no more information could be obtained than the
pors contained, re-
f d all, therefore, that they should do, if
that was the object of the motion, was' to order the re-
pi.—(H, biengrueiprryinv,t,ead.—ane(cllesesaarr,yh,etahre.)inßquati,ryadcmouildttinuge that
without any motion of the sort, for the Lord-
Lieutenant not only possessed the power of appointing
an annual visitation, but also, if he so thought fir, to re-
new the Commission, which could sift the subject far
more efficiently than a Committee of this House.—(Hear,
hear.) The visitation had taken place every year since
the existence of the grant, and if any of these abuses did
exist in the college which had been charged against it,
they would long ago have been brought to light.—(Hear,
hear.) He complained of the spirit and manner in
which this motion was made. A Commission was
sitting and examining into the abuses of the English
Universities, but in th appointment of that Commission
there had been no desire to prejudge the question,
as was manifested in this instance.—(Hear.) How
could the Hon. Member for North Warwickshire, as a
strong and conscientious Protestant, conduct an impartial
inquiry into the doctrines and religious principles
taught in Maynooth? But setting that objection aside,
could this inquiry be proposed in good faith, when it
was clear that they had almost attained the end of a
moribund Parliament?—(Hear, hear.) Appoint the
Committee, and what could it do? Why, nothing, but
simply meet once and adjourn, and then the dissolution
would suddenly bring their labours to a close.—(Hear.)
Permit him, however, to ask the question, what grounds
had been urged in flavour of the inquiry? None at all;
Every argument which had been brought forward was not
in favour of inquiry, but against the grant, because the
Roman Catholic, religion was the ruling principle of the
college.—(Hear, hear.) It should be remembered that
the object of the Legislature in assisting the college was
to promote the domestic religion of the people of Ire-
land, and he was prepared to prove that the college
authorities had in uo way departed from the original
purposes of the institution.—(Hear, hear.) He con-
tended that Maynooth had nothing to do with the ultra-
montane teaching now prevalent in Ireland. Did they
suppose that if Sir Robert Peel, when he proposed to
increase the grant to Maynooth had found that the
teeching practised at the college, was such as it was
detcrihed to be, he would not have asked a commission
of impiry, end been guided by the result? Sir Robert
Peel was slow in approaching reform, but when he did
&led any reform, it was always of the most searching
and comprehensive character; yet, with all his caution,he
had never seen anything to condemn or complain of in
the system of education pursued at Maynooth. The cur-
riculum at Maynooth extended over eight years, and that
period elapsed from the time the young man entered
until he went forth to the world an ordained priest.
Now the permanent grant was made in 1343, but it did
not come into operation until 1846, so that six years had
elapsed since the benefits of the grant had been enjoyed
at Maynooth. Therefore, ho would undertake to say
that not a single Roman Catholic priest, educated at
Maynooth since the grunt was made, had participated
in any public demonstration in Ireland. Was it a logh
cal conclusion, then, to say that such was the system of
education pursued ut Maynooth, and such the evil effects
arising from it, that an inquiry was absolutely
necessary? Ho thought he was bound to make
the inquiry whether, if it was proved before
the Committee that the system of education had
never been altered and was free from the objections that
had been urged, those who supported the Hon. Member
for Warwickshire would be prepared to uphold the
grant? When insurrection was rite in Ireland who was
it that stood between the people and blbodshed but the
Roman Catholic priests? He met with a positive denial
the assertion that the education nt Maynooth encouraged
immorality, and shook the allegiance of those under
its influence. One of the most illogical reasons for
doing away with the grant, was advanced by the Home
Secretary, who said the College of Maynooth was
once poor, but was now comparatively rich,
But after improving the condition of the professors, and
making them almost affluent, were they to reduce them
to a state of poverty again? The Home Secretary had
also stated that the college was intended for domestic
purposes, and that the funds voted by Parliament, in-
stead of being employed for the education of priests at
home, were used for the education of foreign priests ;
but it that Right Hon. Gentlemen had instituted the
most meagre inquiry he would have ascertained there
was no foundation whatever for thanassertion, which was
so often repeated by the great champions of Protes•
autism. When famine visited Ireland then there
was a fusion between the Roman Catholics and Pro-
testants, who forgot all their religious differences in
their anxiety to minister to the wants of the people,
and now the Hon. Member for Warwickshire sought to
separate and destroy that happy union by a motion
of this nature. It was said there was a conspiracy at
Maynooth, but he treated the present movement as
part of a conspiracy in high places in this country
against Catholicity—as a conspiracy on the part of the
University of Oxford for the purpose of retaliation
against that earnest inquiry which bad been evinced
by Protestants to arrive at the religious truth. The
Protestant feeling abroad in the country would not al-
low a Government, however well disposed, to do justice
to Ireland. Roman Catholic Members in that House
had, therefore, only one resource, and that was self-de-
pende
aloof
nce.ll They
yrosmhoaulli partydattach themselves to no party,
and keep
conflicts,
the fitting moment arrived, form themselves and then,elve into weahmen-
pact, array and teach the Government and the House
that the undeniable rights and privileges of the Roman
Catholics were net to be tampered with with impunity.
Mr. NAPIER said that the present motion having
been brought forward by an independent Member of the
House, it was for the Government to consider what
course they would take on the subject. Before the pre-
sent Government had taken office, the proposal was in
the shape of an absolute repeal of the grant. To that,
of course the Government could not, consistent with
a due discharge of their duty, assent, nor
could he himself, whatever his individual con-
viction on the subject might he, give his con-
sent to such a course; but after the accession of the
Government to office, the Hon. Mover of this motion,
knowing that the Government would not consent to a
repeal of the grant, had altered his motion to
a request for a Committee of
,Inquiry. To that
motion he considered the Government were bound
to consent. Such "an inquiry—to see whether
the grant were carried cut to the full benefit
of those for whom the grant was first established—could
not but be of ute. In the first place it was necessary to.
see what were the intentions and the purpose of that
legislation by which this grant was established. After
tracing at some length the progress of legislation with
regard to the Roman Catholic religion the Learned
Gentleman proceeded to show that Maynooth
was not established as a, religious endowment,
but as an educational institution, to provide
an education for those who, but for the ex-
pense, and their not being able to be under the Roman
Catholic discipline, might at that time have repaired to
Trinity College, Dublin. That was the object with
which Maynooth was founded, and it was not intended
then as a state establishment, but merely receiving
state aid. As they received a state grant, he con-
tended it was the duty of Parliament to ascertain
It; wandwetabliecurnatdhaeolrregtarhdaonyateawas applied to the roper purposes.
?liar cdua md sttaaonk place.
ces that tee
Originally n ni ry which
May-
nooth was not regarded as a seminary for priests but for
persons of the Roman Catholic religion, and it was