The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 3, 1845.

partment of the Board of Trade, which was partly
executive and partly legislative. What he would sug-
gest was this, t hbther they might not waive the general
rule in the present instance ?
Mr. HAWES thought that the House would have
heard what the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir G.
Clerk) had to say in reply to the proposition of his
Right Bon. Friend (Sir G. Grey). It he considered
that the Speaker had pronounced an opinion upon the
matter, he would not say a word on the subject, but he
understood that the Speaker had left the matter in the
hands of the House. He thought that an early day
should be fixed for bringing on this subject.
Mr. MANGLES said that the Hon. Gentleman the
Member for Lambeth had suggested that an early day
should be appointed for discussing this subject, but
he thought a Committee could very much better inves-
tigate the matter than the whole Home. It ought not
to be heard by the llouse either in the light of private
or public businesi.--(lronical cheers from Lord Howick.)
The Noble Lord cheered him. He (Mr. Mangles)
was interested in railroads as well as the Noble
Lord, and preferred the whole matter to go
before a Committee. He could not conceive a better
mode of showing by proof that decisions of the Board
were wrong than by giving those ho thought so an op-
portunity of going before a Committee.
Mr. RICARDU did not think it quite consistent with
the dignity of the Board of Trade to object on a mere
point of form.

Sir G. CLERK said he did not raise any objection
on the part of the Board of Trade on a mere point of
form, but thought the House should act on a uniform
principle, and be guided by what had taken place in
matters of this sort.

Mr. r THOMAS S. DUNCOMBE thought the
matter was well worthy of consideration. He
should certainly take the sense of the House, even if
he stood alone, and the House might depend upon it that
on another day they would have similar petitions until
they brought the House to its senses with regard to this
matter.
'[he House then divided :
For the motion 7B
Against it
Majority against the motion
NOTICE OF MOTION.
Mr. HUME gave notice that he should on the 17th
bring forward his motion relating to Sir 11. Pottinger.
PAYMASTERS AND PURA:RS IN THE
ROYAL NAVY.
Captain PECHELL moved that the petition which be
presented yesterday from the payinast( rs and pursers of
the Royal Navy be printed with the Votes.—Agreed to.
COLLIERIES RAILWAY BILL.

Mr. HODGSON HIDE gave notice that on tht
order of the day for the second reading of the Colleriee
Railway Bill (as we understood) being read, he shouN
call the attention of the House to a letter which hod
been published on the subject, and should move that fin
order of the day should be discharged.
NEW WRIT FOR GREENOCK.

Mr. Hll.llEmOVecithai the Speaker do issue his wr
,o the Clerk of the Crown to issue a new writ for
burgess to serve in Parliament, in the room of Robe'
Wallace, Esq., who since his election had accepted th
office of Steward to the Chiltern Hundreds.
GRANT TO MAYNOOTH.
The SPEAKER said that those Members who ha,
petitions against the dditional grant to Maynooth had
better present them at once.
At this announcement almost every Member on the
Ministerial side of the House rose and pointed towards
the table with a roll of petitions which he held in hand.
This simultaneous movement elicted roars of laughter.
There were upwards of 200 Members one he Ministerial
benches, and of these certainly not 20 kept their seats on
the announcement of the Speaker. On the Opposition
side of the House, on which there were about 180 Mem
hers, not mere than twenty had petitions to present roc
the subject. The first Member who came forward was
Mr. HAWES, who presented thirteen petitions from
various Dissenting congregations against any additional
grant to Maynooth.
Mr. STEWART WORTL.EY presented petitions
from the West Riding of Yorkshire to the same effect.
Mr. Greene, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Pakington, and Sir
Howard Douglas presented petitions to the same effect.
Sir R. INGLIS presented an immense number of
petitions to the same effect, but from the noise and con-
fusion in the House it was impossible to catch the names
of the places from which these petitions emanated.
Petitions, principally against any further grant to the
College of Maynooth, were presented by Mr. Pattison,
Mr. Darby, Loi d Worsley, Mr. Greene, Lord J. Stewart,
Lord Palmerston, Sir T. Acland, Mr. Dickinson, Mr.
Bankes, Col. Sibthorp, Mr. Spooner, and Mr. M. Manes.
Petitions were also presented from Glasgow, Chippen.
ham, and various other places, against any increased
grant to Maynooth.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee of
the whole House, to consider the 40th of George 111.,
cap. 85, Mr. Greene in the Chair.
Sir R. PEEL rose and spoke as follows:—Mr. Greene,
Sir, in the course of the last session of Parliament I
took the opportunity of publicly declaring, on the part
of her Majesty's Government, that it was our in-
tention, during the recess, to apply ourselvez
to the consideration of the state of acade-
mical education in Ireland. I accompanied that
declaration with a distinct intimation that the circum-
stances and position of the Roman Catholic College
Maynooth would undergo the consideration of the
, Government. I added that, undertaking the con-
sideration of the state of Maynooth, it was
our intention to undertake it in a friendly spirit,
and I made that public declaration at that time in ord, r
that due public notice might be given of the
intentions of her Majesty's Government. I
was not unprepared for the demonstration of
opinion which has been made this day. I could
not look back to the discussions which have taken place
in this House with respect to Maynooth, without fore-
seeing that a proposition upon the subject of Maynooth,
connected with its extension, was likely to encounter
the risk of great opposition. I could not disguise
from myself that tbere were many entertaining
strong religious opinions and conscientious scruples, the
sincerity of which cannot be questioned, and which, on
account of their sincerity, are entitled to respect—l say
I could not but foresee that any proposal for an in-
creased grant to Maynooth was likely to be encountered
by an opposition such as that to which I have referred.
And it was because we were so placed that
we have deemed it our duty to enter upon this
difficult task, fully sensible that it would be such,
but also that it was one by which men were
not to be cowed. But, Sir, while we had resolved that
we should undertake this duty, and encounter this diffi-
culty, we had resolved that it should not be ag-
gravated by any such accusation as that we had
concealed our intentions from the country or the public,
or that we had taken any party by surprise.—(" Hear,
hear," from the Opposition.) Sir, it was upon this ac-
count that I declared explicitly and deliberately this in-
tendon on the part of the Government, at so early a
period of last session ; an intention not intimated in
any vague or equivocal terms ; but plainly and deli-
berately stating that what we would pledge ourselves to
do was to give an improved system of academical
education to Maynooth, with an increase of the public
grant. Sir, in pursuance of the determination we have
taken this grave subject into eurconsideration I shall now
say nothing with respect to on portion of this question
which will become before the House separately. I mean
the the question of academical education. The obser
vations I shall have to make will entirely apply tee
this question of the College of Maynoot ; and
it is solely in reference to the institution
that I am now speaking. In taking this sub-
ject into consideration, we had to take cognisance of the
extent of obligation which past Acts of the Legislature
might have imposed upon the Government and the
Parliament, for the support of this institution ; and the
practical effect of the past system, as well as the probable
effect of any alteration which might be made; and given all
those points our best and most mature consideration, I
now, on the part of the Executive Government
of this country, submit to the calm considera-
tion of the House of Commons, the proposal
which we are prepared to make. Sir, it has appeared
to us that we were at liberty to pursue one of these
ceurses with respect to the College of Maynooth. We
considered, first, that it was competent to us to
continue, without alteration, the present aystem
pursued in that Institution, and the amount
of the Parliamentary grant annually made
hitherto; secondly, that it was competent to discontinue
that grant, and repudiate the institution altogether, and
all connexion with it, and, after providing for existing
interests, publicly to notify that, hereafter,
connexion whatever should exist between the
Government of this country and Maynooth. But
I need not say that this course we were not prepared to
adopt. The third course open to us to pursue was, to
come forward in a friendly spirit and offer to improve
the present system of Roman Catholic education—(op-
position cheers)—and to extend, to a liberal amount,
Parliamentary protection.—(Cheers from the Opposi-
tion.) This we propose to do, not by attempting any
interference with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic
creed, but by a more liberal grant to improve the system
and elevate the tone of the Catholic people of Ireland.
Sir, with regard to the first—the continuance, without
alteration or modification of any kind the present grant
and the present system, I declare, on the part of her
Majesty's Government, that it is our deliberate convic-
tion, that of all courses that could be pursued,
that is the most objectionable. In giving the present
grant, we profess to make provision for the
education of those who are to give spiritual instruction
and religious consolation to many millions of people.—
(Hear, hear.) We just give enough, by voting annually
9,0004 to discourage and peralise all voluntary contri-
butions.—(Haar, hear.) Remove the grant altogether.
and you will find, on the part of the people
of Ireland, I have no doubt, a disposition to
pecuniary sacrifices, and to provide some, perhaps an
imperfect, endowment for the religious education of the
Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland. But the grant
of 9,0001. a year, and the public undertaking on the part
of the Government to endow the institution, and to
provide instruction for the priesthood, has effectually
discouraged contributions from others, and yet the
sure we vote ineffectual and insufficient,—(Hear, hear.)
By continuing this grant now what do we do? If it be
a violation of principle to provide instruction for the
that violation.—(Hear,
education of the Roman Catholic priesthood, we are
of principle at last')
guilty dt9yoro!,
hear.) The grant
ut"- a year, 'professedly for the educa-
tionmerely of the Roman
violation Catholic
Parliamentary grant annually, revocable any I shall propose t • o-night. What is the effect of the
priesthood, o ogdr,e a
ti s
asa
that you make a
rsocable at your plea-
sure, bet in the statute
Parliament—twothere are three Acts of
passed before the union by

the Irish Legislature, and one passed since in
1808) which adopted and sanctioned this insti-
tution, for the support of which an abhn, pant
is made. By the combined effects of the Acts
of Parliament, you provide for the establishment of a
college for the education of the Roman Catholic priest-
hood, and the words you make use of; are
" the establishment of a colli ge." And though'
you may say, that the existing statutes dis-
claim all connexion with the college, and repudiate
as a guilty thing with which you would have
no communion, yet whom do these statutes appoint
the visitors of the College. The Lord Chancellor, the

highest judicial authority in the country, and the
judges, or the persons whom those statutes appoint as the
visitors of that institution which you so much discourage.

You provide, it is true, by an annual vote only for cer-
tain professors of that college ; but the Act_whichhas

received your sanction expressly speaks of fellowships
of that college to be endowsd. The Act originally con-
templated a per sect system of collegiate education
consisting of scholars, masters, professors, and fellows..
—(hear.) You have repealed the statute of mortmain
in favour of that body—you have permitted the trustees
to hold land—real property, to the am( unt of 1,0001. per
annum, fir the purpose of providing for that body. By the
Irish Act they are permittk d to hold real property to the
amount of LOCO/. a-year, rep, sling the statute of mort-
main. That was the Act of the Irish Parliament, but
in 1808 this Imperial Parliament distinctly recog-
nised the institution so far as to make a
further provision, still further repealing the mortmain
statute in favour of the College, enabling the trustees
to make certain compromises, and to hold real property
as contemplated by the Irish Parliament. You have
en iblsd the trustees by an express enactment, to
provide and assign a chapel, in which the
rights of the Reman Catholic Church can be
performed by a chaplain appointed by the trustees. This
enactment received the saction of the Legislature, and I
ask whether there has not been a complete violation of
the principle—if principle Ie inuolved in it—by the
nature of the connexion with the Roman Catholic priest-
hood thus deliberately sanctioned by the Government ?
Having then sustained the inconvenience—if inconveni-
ence there be —in the departure from principle,
why should not the intentions of Parliament be
carried into effect ? You have assigned 9,0001.
a-year for several years past, as a provision
for this college, in respect to which e stablishment a
vote had been annually made, to be expressly applied to
the annual salaries of tea professors in that college.
There are three Professors of Theology, which
you endow, and to which your grant is applied
but that grant is so limited in amount, that you are not
enabled to assign more to the professors than 120/. a
year.—(hear, hear.) In seven out of ten cases, the
provision made for professors was less than the sum named.
In the case of the threw professors of theology, you expect
to have the services of men of learning, of eminence, and
•ntegrity, for a salary of 120/. a year.—(Loud cries of
" Hear, hear," from Mr. Simi.) And observe that that
salary cannot be increased by means of fees. No other
payment is awarded to these professors than that
which the Parliament provides ; and the sum
which you give is all that they have. That
institution, at the present moment, contains 440
students. I think that 130 of these students belong to
the class denominated pensioners—that is to say. parties
who pay a certain sum for their admission, and
in addition provide for their own support. In
addition there are 250 free students whom the State
professes to maintain. The average sum paid by the
6tate for each student is 23/. per year.—(" Bear, hear,"
from the Opposition.) For that sum of 2:3L the student
has to provide his college dress, the furniture of his
rooms, his commons, and in addition, out of the 231. for
each student,there are to be provided for the repairs of the
College, the expence of coals and a variety of other in-
cidental expences.—(Hear, hear, from the Opposition.)
Now, if this is a violation of principle, I ask you what
.10 you gain by it? Surely you gain nothing
by establishing professors of theology at salaries
of 120/. a year each.—(Hear, hear, from the Opposition.)
If you violate your principle, surely it is politic—surely
it is wise, to violate it in such a manner as to insure the
services of men of the highest character and of
the most competent attainments.—(Opposition cheers.)
I do not speak at all of those gentlemen who are at pre-
sent professors in that college. Ido not mean at all to
derogate from their high character or from their great
atttainments.—(Cheers.) But if men of high character
are found from their zeal for their religion, and from
their desire to promote the course of education, to de-
vote their time to the public for incompetent
salaries—(Hear, hear from the Opposition)—
that is AO reason why we should not
take measures to secure the services of men of compe-
tent learning, by giving them a proper and requisite pro-
vision.—(Hear, hear, and Opposition cheers.) All I
contend for is that you have no compen-
sation for your violation of principle by voting
so low a pecuniary grant, as to place the parties whom
you charge with your favour in a state of indigence.—
(Opposition cheers.) Now, with regard to the state of the
hailding. What must be the feelings of ayoung man who en-
tered that building for the first time—feelings which would
produce an effect upon him for the whole of his after-
life.—(Opposition cheers.) Why, the appearance of the
building is desolate in the extreme. It bears the charac-
ter of a deserted barracks rather than that of a colle-
giate establishment.—(Cheers.) Now, recollect that
there are 440 students there, receiving your liberality,
It is impossible to insure to each of these students a
separate room. In many cases, according to the reports
of the Committees, several students are placed in one
room, and in some they are placed in one bed.
I hold in my hand a report which was made to the
Executive Government, and which was signed by
several, indeed, I may say, by almost all, the authorities
connected with that college. lam sure I need make no
apology, if I read the statements contained in it to the
ouse.

CLEFT SPEAKING.)

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE T.VENING PAPERS OF THIS DAI.
STANDARD.—Lord Ashley's Bill for the regulation of
labour in calico printing works was last night read a second
time; after an explanation from the Home Secretary, that it
must be considerably modified. Lord Ashley assented
to the proposal of modification, in order that he
might secure a locus standi in the matter, and
the Noble Lord was right. This is one of the
cases in which it is not only wise but innocent to take instal-
ments, for it is only by showing the safety and utility of
such reforms as the Noble Lord has so long conducted, upon
a limited scale, that the minds of all can be reconciled
to their pi inciple. Of this Lord Ashley had a
handsome testimony from the millowners last night,
in Mr. Brotherton's ingenuous acknowledgment, un-
contradicted by any one, that the Noble Lord's re-
forms hitherto had proved as beneficial to the employers
as to the employed ; a fact, indeed, sufficiently attested bythe present
prosperity and contentment of the manufac-
turing districts. This and the most interesting letter from
a working mechanic, describing the factory labourers as
elevated to a higher order of beings within twenty
years, read by, the Noble Member for Dorsetshire, must
afford bins great encouragement in his glorious course,
and present an irresistible argument to the Legislature to
fblloiv a leader at once so zealous and so circumspect. It is
plain that the great work of social improvement is in irre-
sistible progress—not in this trade or in that—but, as it
Ic:Is repreaclifiilly thrown up to Lord Ashley, in all pupe
snits (probably the highest compliment ever paid even to
his Lordship); and this has been the work of Michael
Thomas Sadler and of Lord Ashley in less than fifteen
years. There was an objection to the Bill now in
progress offered by the Home Secretary, which has weight,
no doubt, against an abrupt change, but which, in truth,
offers the most powerful argument that can be offered in
favour of the pervading principle of all Lord Ashley's
reforms. We allude to the Right Honourable Secre-
tary's remarks upon the impossibility of reconciling the
regulative of the hours of labour with the alternation of
" pushes" and " slacks," which, as it seems, almost regularly
succeed to each other in the calico printing trade. Now, if
the regulation of the hours of labour had no other effect than
greatest possible benefit to all engaged
to render impossible this alternation of " pushes" and " slacks,"
it would render the
in the trade : we need not say how much the labourers
would be benefited by the substitution of steady for de•
sultory employment ; how much happier they would be,
and how much more skilful they would become; this must
be obvious to all. The employer, however, would be, in
the end, even a greater gainer, in being able to adjust
his expenditure to his profits with certainty and precision,
in having more skilful and more attached servants,
in having his works constantly remunerating the capital laid
out on them, above all, in protection from the gambling
competition of pennyless adventurers, working upon credit
for " the push,"
and underselling the fair trader (with or
without the intervention of the Bankrupt Court) during
" the slack." We have no doubt that much of the
present prosperity of the manufacturing districts, and nearly
all the solidity of
that prosperity (which is, we believe,
solid), may be traced to Lord Ashley's former measures
steadying the course of manufactures by limiting the hours
of labour. Indeed, this was almost acknowledged last night.
GLOBE.—The Bill " for regulating the Profession of
Physic and Surgery,"
ren-
dered less offensive to the members of the medical profes-
sion Government is
by alterations which Sir James Graham has con-
sented to introduce, is still open to serious objections
try without now before Parliament, though
on public grounds. In legislating upon such a subject,
especiallyiTi l,more respect
; ersepnei
ci reminded dfeodr
class
populi suprcnza est lax. That the subject of medical
reform cannot, at any time, be brought forward in this coun-
try
results exciting
to the mass of the population, must ever be
o f
the
interests, a xion,
thana ifi: sr
a source ofregret. This will continue to be the core so long
as such varied interests exist in the medical profession, fos
tered by corporate bodies, possessing peculiar privileges.
A worse mistake cannot be
committed than to suppose
that all existing interests can be harmonised in the pro-
duction of a reform, sinless one or more of these interests, or
the individuals representing them, are regarded as the pure
and unobjectionable source whence any sufficient measure of
reform should be derived. Yet every legislator who has
undertaken the subject has fallen into this error. liven if he
ha. 4 originated his plan upon information which he has been at
the pains of obtainingfrom impartial sourees, be has eventually
abandoned it to the conflicting parties affected by the measure,
who, in expunging whatever interfered with their " vested
rights," destroyed whatever of good it originally con-
tained. Sir James Graham's present scheme of medical
reform had its congenial taint, and was further cor-
rupted by concessions. Sir Benamin Brodie very plainly
says :—" This is what re, the Colleges,intend to reserve to
ourselves ; we sacrifice none of our sins ;ut, if you
we will compromise by sparing more, or less, of those faults
from which we intend to purify N ou." And in this
manner opponents may, or may not, be bought
over, until it is discovered that the plan, ex-
ceedingly faulty at first, is no longer worth defending or
opposing. Conflicting medical gradations we do not under-
take to reconcile. Amid their disputes for rank and privi-
lege, the principle of reform is crushed ; and the security
essential to preserve the public health from being neglected,
or tampered with by uneducated quacks, is sacrificed.
The first principle of medical reform should be that
none but duly educated persons should be permitted to
practise medicine. The medical authorities, however—
concerning themselves only about' gradations of rank, and
the construction of fortifications against privileged com-
petitors—very coolly suppress the note of war against the
class presumed to be most l prejud' 'icia and dangerous to the
public health—namely, the uneducated and unqualified prac-
titioners of medicine. If these are to be tolerated, it is quite
evident that any measure of pretended reform, hoer ad-

vantageous it may prove to a classc an be of but little ad.
vantage to the community.

ATTEMPTED MURDER of A WIFE

BY 888 HUSBAND,
Yesterday morning the inhabitants of Vauxhall-
road and Tithebarn-street were thrown into a state of
great excitement by a rumour, rapidly circulated,
that a man had stabbed his wife at No. 11,
Lower Miik-street, and that the most serious appre-
hensions were entertained that the wound was mor-
tal. It unfortunately turned out to be but too true
that the diabolical act had been perpetrated : and
we fear that by the time this sheet meets the public eye,
the unfortunate female's life will have fallen a sacrifice
to the revengeful spirit of her husband. The parties
had only removed the evening before (Mon-
day) from Cockspur-street to Milk-street, where
they took I,,dgings on the first floor. After
the lodgings were taken, the husband, who has
given his name as John Morris Murphy, and who
is an Irishman by birth, and an oil and colour mixer
by occupation, went out, and remained at acme lublic-
house during the whole of the night. On his return
home, yesterday morning, he requested his wife, who
was lying upon a wretched bed in the apartment,
to get up and prepare him some breakfast. She
refused, upon the ground that she had no
victuals in the house, and no money to purchase any,
whereupon he seized hold of an old table-knife, and
stabbed her with it behind the ear and on the right
side of the neck. Her screams brought several of the
neighbours to the spot, and there they beheld L1.,0d
flowing copiously from the wound, and Murphy in
the act of holding, with one hand, a washhaed-
basin to receive it, and endeavouring with the other
to stop the bleeding by applying a cloth to
the wound. The account he gave of the trans
action was, that it was purely accidental ; that she fell
against a large pan which was lying on the floor, and
that the broken edge of the vessel caused the injury.
This story, however, was looked upon as very in.pro-
bable, and was rende►ed still more so by the medical
men being of opinion that the wound was caused by a
sharp instrument. A rusty table-knife was found in the
room, and was taken possession of by one of the police
officers.
The prisoner was apprehended by Superintendent
Lawson and conveyed to Vauxhall Brideweil, where
he remained during the day, and repeatedly made
inquiries as to how his wife was getting on and
whether she was likely to survive. She was conveyed
on a stretcher to the Northern Hospital, where every-
thing was done for her that medical and surgical skill
could accomplish. The great object, of course, was to
stop the bleeding, and this was almost wholly effected in
a short time ; but the danger likely -to arise from stir-
ring her, by causing the wound to bleed afresh, prevented
a minute examination of the injured part from being
made. In answer to our inquiries, we learned that
it was impossible to say how deeply the knife
had extended, as the neck was covered with her clotted
hair, but that the wound bore every appearance of
having been inflicted by some sharp instrument. Her
life yesterday afternoon was considered in imminent
danger; there was a chance that she might survive, but
the probabilities were that she was fast sinking
into the jaws of death. She alluded constantly
to her husband, spoke of him in the kindest
terms, and said his misfortune was that he could
not bear up against poverty. It appears that
though he is a journeyman colour-manufacturer he has
not been in the habit of following his trade, and that in
fact he had no means of livelihood except what he made
by selling newspapers. The part* s have seven chil-
dren, the youngest of whom is only two months old, and
the eldest only ten years.—Lireyeel Courier of Wed-
nesday.