The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-05 00:00:00

the very time when Queen Elizabeth was excommuni-
cated by Rome, and her title to the throne disputed, she
should have founded a university for the education, not
of persons of the Reformed faith, but of her Roman
Catholic subjects. He referred to the report of the com-
missioners on this subject, to show that while they recog-
nised Trinity College, Dublin, as a Protestant establish-
ment, in accordance with the views of its founders, they
at the same time declared that the doors of the uni-
versity had been thrown as wide open as they
could be to persons of all religious denominations
consistent with the intentions of its founders. He
also quoted a speech from Sir J. Graham, in
1825, in which the right hon. bart. declared that he
looked upon this University as a decidedly Protestant
establishment. With regard to the general tolerant
character of the Dublin University, he said no one was
subject to a test unless he took a degree in divinity. He
showed the relaxations which had been made of the ori-
ginal restrictions, and the number of honours and offices
in the college open to Roman Catholics, the aggregate
emoluments amounting to 6,0001. a year. He enume-
rated some of the eminent persons who had been edu-
cated at Trinity College, and then proceeded to argue
that the Act of Settlement (the 14th and 15th Charles
II.) and the act 33 George 111., chap. 21—upon which
Mr. Fagan replied as affording authority for his scheme
—contained enactments directly repugnant to it.
Mr. HEYWOOD admitted that many beneficial modi-
fications had been made in the college, but, although he
wished its constitution to remain as it was, he thought
more modifications of its restrictions were desirable.
Sir J. YOUNG regretted this motion, which was one
of those attempts, he said, now made to change esta-
blished institutions in Ireland, and he looked at an at-
tack upon a Protestant institution as he would at an
attack upon Maynooth College. In examining the alle-
gations of Mr. Fagan, he accused him of greatll•te d over-
estimatingao the revenue of Trinity
Co
llege,and e
opinion expressed by the University Commissioners, that
fundamental changes in the college were not required.
Mr. HUME supported the motion, which, he said,
had been much misunderstood. It was not intended to
interfere with the educational purposes of Trinity Col-
lege, but to devise a better mode of expending its money
for those purposes.
Mr. "WHITESIDE said, the object of this bill was to
take away from the University of Dublin funds given for
one purpose, and to apply them to another ; and this he
called confiscation. If Mr. Fagan succeeded in his mo-
tion, what assurance could he give that a college esta-
blished upon the principle he proposed would not be as-
sailed by the same interdict which had been issued from
Rome against other colleges in Ireland ?
Mr. J. FITZGERALD denied that the bill proposed
confiscation ; and challenged Mr. Hamilton to show that
there was one word in the charter of Elizabeth, which
excluded Roman Catholics from the college, or any con-
temporaneous document appropriating it to Protestant
purposes. The measure did not interfere with the educa-
tion of Trinity College, but would work out this object
—that, while a place of education was still preserved
for Protestant clergymen, incentives to exertion should
be opened to Roman Catholics.
Mr. NAPIER opposed the motion because its object
and scope were incompatible with the foundation and
continuance of the University of Dublin, which had gone
to the utmost length of liberality consistent with the
primary and lawful object of the institution. He an-
swered the challenge of 3,1 r. Fitzgerald by quoting the
charter of Elizabeth, which made the teaching of"re-
ligion oIA of the objects of the institution, and the Fel-
lows' oath, which repudiated Popery. To establish an-
other college, and to admit Roman Catholics upon the
foundation, would break up au institution which had
undergone an inquiry by commissioners (whose report
was highly creditable to the University of Dublin), by
giving birth to a struggle between two religious parties
as to which should get the emoluments.
Mr. I. BUTT likewise insisted that Mr. Fagan's
scheme would break up the whole University system ;
it proposed to establish a second college, and to endow
it out of the existing revenues of Trinity College, and,
if the present system were broken up, the end would
be disappointment, for the new college would not be
accepted by the Roman Catholic hierarchy or the Roman
Catholic people of Ireland.
Mr. GEORGE having spoken shortly against the motion,
and Mr. P. O'Bneese in its favour, Mr. FAGAN declining
to divide the house, the motion was negatived.
PUNISHMENT OF ADULTERY.
Mr. BOWYER moved for leave to bring in a bill to
amend the Lew regarding actions for criminal conversa-
tion, and the protection of women in such actions, in
order to remove what he considered a great blot on the
jurisprudence of this country. Our law treated adultery,
not like that of every civilised nation in Europe, as a
criminal offence, but as a civil wrong, for which a pecu-
niary compensation was awarded ; and this distinction
was itself presumptive evidence that our law was wrong.
He pointed out the abuses to which our mode of treat-
ing the offence gave rise, and proposed that in future no
damages should be given in any action of this nature,
but, where a verdict was obtained by the plaintiff, it
should be lawful for the court to impose a fine upon the
defendant. If it should be proposed to substitute an
indictment, he would support that proposal. Further
—at present, the wife was no party to the suit, and was
not heard ; the question was between the husband and
the paramour, and was one of money, whereas to the
woman it was a question of utter ruin. He proposed,
therefore, that she should be placed in the situation of a
defendant, and entitled to appear by counsel.
Mr. FITZROY, on behalf of Lord Palmerston, ob-
served that Mr. Bowyer's object was of a very compre-
hensive character, and, although he did not oppose the
introduction of the bill, it must not be understood that
its principle was adopted by the Government. At the
same time, there could he no diversity of opinion as to
the state of the law, which was not satisfactory, and to
make an offence of this kind a question of damages was
exceedingly revolting to every honourable man.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE
ISLANDS OF ARRAN.
Mr. BELLEW moved that a humble address be pre-
sented to her Majesty, praying for the establishment of
the postal communication with the islands of Arran, on
the west coast of Ireland. He said that during the
recess his attention had been drawn to the fact that
these islands had no postal communication. They
certainly did not occupy a very important geographical
position, but he wished to impress upon the house that
they contained 3,000 inhabitants, who were cut off from
almost all communication with this country.
Mr. FRENCH seoonded the motion.
Sir J. YOUNG begged to state that the Posmaster-
General bad instituted an inquiry with the object of
giving postal communication to these islands if it were
possible to do so. It appeared the islands were on the
west coast of Ireland, and contained 3,000 inhabitants,
a magistrate, three clergymen, and a lighthouse. (A
laugh.) The estimated revenue of the islands was
91. Iss. a-year, while the employment of a boat twice a
week would cost 381. a year, and the cost of sending a
boat once a week would be 261. a year. Under these
circumstances the establishment of a postal communica-
tion would involve a loss upon the country.
The sues-
tion of giving these communications by
sea to islands
was a very large one, and might involve not only the
islands of Arran, but many others, such as Jersey and
Guernsey. He trusted the hon. gentleman would be
satisfied witlethe assurance that the Government would
give the subject their attention.
Mr. FRENCH said it must be recollected that very
considerable sums were derived from carrying letters by
the stages, and he thought it was but fair that if the
Government took the advantages of this they should
also be ready to put up with losses.
Mr. BAILLIE could not agree with the doctrine that
the Post-office authorities ought not to give postal com-
munication unless the addition required could be made
to pay. He had himself, on a former occasion, brought
the matter before the house, and he trusted it would
now take the subject into its serious csnsideration.
Sir T. BARING concurred with the hon. gentleman
who had just sat down, that it was not a sufficient answer
to be told that a sufficient remuneration would not be
paid. (Hear, hear.) The Post-office authorities ought
to furnish postal communication for the whole country.
Mr. H. HERBERT said, only two days ago he re-
ceived a communication from Carlow, which stated that
an application had been made to the Post-office autho-
rities to place them in precisely the same position they
were in ten years ago, before railways were in existence,
and when the country was amply supplied with stage
coaches ; and the only answer they received was, that
it would not pay. He trusted the Government would
now take a more liberal view of the subject.
The house then divided--
For the m0ti0n....,.,.,, .
Against ........................................
Majority against the Government.
SLAVE TRADE.
Sir G. PECHELL, in moving an address for returns
of vessels seized on suspicion of being engaged in the
slave trade, and of her Majesty's ships employed on the
coast of Cuba for the prevention of the
slav trade,
said, as the traffic was now concentrated into one point,
the coast of Cuba, it was not too much, he thought, to
urge the Admiralty not to withdraw any of the vessels
from that coast.
Mr. HUME observed, that it appeared in the evi-
dence before the committee of last session, that all now
required to put an end to the slave trade was to call
upon Spain to fulfil her engagements with this country
Abe BAILLIE denounced the faithless conduct
of
Spain.
Sir J. GRAHAM said, the Government bad not
deemed it consistent with their duty to relax their efforts
either on the coast. of Africa or that of Cuba to suppress
this traffic, He did not believe that there had been any
reduction of the number of our cruisers on either coast.
was confined to Cuba, Brazil
On the whole, the supply
now co-operating with us in honest endeavours to put an
end to the trade, and Lord Clarendon and Lord Bowden
had made the strongest representations to the Spanish
Government to enforce the ohservance of its engage-
ments upon the Cuban authorities.
Mr. COBDEN observed that, without wishing to as-
sist the transfer of Cuba to the United States, be thought
it would be an advantage to humanity if the United
-0
States or some other Power had possession of the island,
which had been so scandalonsly abused.
After a few words from Captain SConmst,, the motion
was agreed to. • •

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.. 80
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HAY CONTRACTS.
Sir W. SMIJTH, in moving for returns with regard
to the supply of hay to the navy, said he held in his
hand the proof of the innocence of one of the accused
.parties, whose name had been brought before the public.
Ie understood, however, that the hon. secretary to the
Admiralty had acquitted this party of the charge im-
puted to him.
Mr. B. OSBORNE explained that he did so, as far as
gle fraud was concerned.

Sir W. SMIJTH said that, on looking over the cor-
respondence with the Admiralty, he could not imagine
how a person who waa not guilty of fraud could be.at