The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at 4 o'clock.
TROOPS IN INDIA.

Sir G. ST UCLEY asked the Secretary of State for War
whether it was conducive to the health and discipline of
officers and men to send them from their depots in England
so that they should arrive in India during the months of April
or Iloty, thus spending their summer exposed to the heat at
Kurrachee or elsewlisre, away from the commanding
officers of their own regiments, or occupied in travelling
during the intense heat of summer to join their regiments
in the North West provinces!.

Sir J. PAKINGTON said, by soma delay in the over-
land route the troops did not arriva as early as was ex-
pected, but steps had been taken to prevent such an
arrangement taking place again. (Hear, hear.)
THE PRUSSIAN DRA.UOONS.

In reply to Sir G. STUCLEY,
Sir J. PAK iNGTON said that the subject of sabres was
out of his department, but he would tak3 care that the
statement should be submitted to the Conunander-in-
Chief.

Sir T. BATESON inquired whether the attention o
the Government had been drawn to a letter written by Mr.
Gladstone, dated the `loth of May, with reference to the
East Worcestershire election, in which (according to the
honourable baronet) the right hon. gentleman stated that
it was the intention_of ber. M Ajly's Government, during
-1,11437-esent sessionToltfik*Aho-. ftentatirat-M-cu-nnieli
in Ireland, and alao-,l*Pereate a Roman Catholic Uni-
versity, paying ita exixuls_.s out of the taxes of the coun-
try, and ho wished tolehow how far such statement was
correct.
Mr. DISRAELI was afraid 'the hon. gentleman bad
fallen into a trap, very
nicely baited. The attention of
the Cabinet was called to the letter in question. Ike, as
its head, believed it to be one of the effusions known as
c, squibs," and sometimes as "hoaxes." It was not con-
ceived in the most happy style of the member for South
Lancashire—were it really his ; and under all the circum-
stances he had given no further consideration to the
matter.

Subsequently, on the motion for going into Committee o
Supply, _ _

Mr. GLADSTONE denied altogether the accuracy of
the statement as made. He would not defend the style of
his letter, although ho fully admitted the authorship. He
had carefully avoided saying that the Government had
made any such proposal. He did not in that communica-
tion hold the Government up to odium because they pro-
posed to endow the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
All his letter said was that the Government were friendly
to religious equality in Ireland, provided it was done by
endowing other Churches, including the Roman Church.
He had since heard that a direct proposition had been made
to Lord Derby, prior to his retirement from office, to in-
crease the Regium Donum, and his reply was simply that
at that period it was impossible, as the estimates were
made out. His own letter, Mr. Gladstone maintained, was
a fair and inevitable construction put on the assertions
made, and Ly it he would still abide. He declined to pro-
nounce any opinion on the criticism of Mr. Disraeli ; at all
times he (Mr. Gladstone) was prepared to receive such
small shot, but he still firmly and unequivocally stood by
the letter he had written.

Mr. DISRAELI said that the right hon. gentleman
evidently meant to say that the Government were at one
time seriously disposed to increase the Regium Donum.
In reference to that, he had only recently received a depu-
tation from the Presbytery of Ulster, and the answer
given was that the suggestion was totally impossible.
Everyone, he told the deputation, agreed that the Regium
Donum was a very poor pittance compared with the other
religious endowments in Ireland, but that the present
temper of the House of Commons could not hold out any
prospect of increase. That was his emphatic reply to the
statement that the Government had any idea of endowin g
y3edyofinthle relandiwhereas all they said to
thev e r
representatives Regium Donum was that they
would, but that they could not, increase the amount, as
the estimates were framed. He condemned these charges
as frivolous, and such as the country would not receive.
Mr. CARDWELL said that the Government had held
ereligious
out the bait of a " Liberal policy" towards Ireland ; but
the only distinguishing feature in it was to propose to
grant a charter to a Roman Catholic university. Its ex-
perles were to be defrayed out of the taxes ; aad with re-
gard 'o the affiliated colleges, thoir further consideration
was oned. _ _ _

The rl of MAYO defended the original statement of
the Government. With regard to the establishment of a
university n. the Catholics, he had distinctly averred
that it was not intended to propose anyendowment for the
colleges to be affiliated. Certainly if Parliament bad sanc-
tioned the endowment of the university it would not
logically have refused the amount of the salaries for its
professors. The objection taken by the Roman Catholics
themselves Was that the endowment was not satisfactory.
They lemanded that Parliament should be asked to pro-
vide for the establishment of scholarships for the univer-
sity and the affiliated colleges. With regard to any in-
tention on the part of the Government to endow the Ro-
man Catholic Church in Ireland, it never existed. No
man in his senses would ever have made such a proposal.
If ever the time for it existed it must have very long ago
passed by.
After a few words from Sir G. GREY and Mr. SURTEES,
the latter commenting on the political conduct of Mr.
Reardon, the member for Athlone, whom Mr. Gladstone on
a previous evening had disclaind as one of his supporters,
the subject dropped.
Some remarks from General DUNNE on the position of
clerks in the eneneer &put:tient, eepecially in reference
to the right of pensions for their widows, granted to other
civil officers of the department, followed.
Mr. CHILDERS then wished to know how much Sap-
ply the Government were going to ask for pending what
had been termed a dissolution "as soon as possible." For
how many months?
Tho CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
somewhat inconvenient to have a question of this charac-
ter put without due notice. The Reform Bill had been
passed for England, but not for Scotland or Ireland. It
was perfectly impossible to say when a dissolution was
practicable. He trusted that no doubt existed anywhere
that the Government had the utmost desire to bring about
such an event as soon as possible. The Supplies to be
granted must of course depend on the time at which the
dissolution took place; and under such circumstances the
house could hardly expect the Government to say what