Star.
London, England, 1828-03-12 00:00:00

EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

Mr. SPRING RICE. in snosin? that the Reports of
the Commissioners of Education in Ireland be iefeired
so a Select Committee, said he should abstain from any
observations that could excite irritation. He thought
all parties were so far agreed on the subject, that the
time was cone when they might act in concert on the
information they bad received, and those principles on
whith they all agree. Two Commissions of Education
in Ireland had been appointed in succession. The first
made 14 Reports, and cost the country 73,0001. The
other made 9 Reports, and cost 40,0001. His present ob•
ject was simply to refer all those Reports to Committee,
who acting with as much freedom as possible from

patty motives, Would point out a plan of education
capable of prattlers' application and undoubted utility.
„Already a million had Nita spent on the Charter School.
;System of Ireland, which was new abandoneaby 1111 its,
'former supporters as mischievous. He would propose
ya Committee of twenty-one Members, and should above '
Lail things aim at procuring a perfectly impartial Com-
*Wet He thought the inquiry would be a short one,
and.truatedit would be found highly beneficial. The
Honourable Gentleman moved—" That the several
Reports presented to the House on the subject of Edu-
cation in Ireland be referred to a Select Committee, to
icing their opinion to the House."
1. LAMB cordially agreed with the Hon. Member
is the propriety of avoiding all topics calculated to ex-
cite asperity upon the question to which his motion re-
ferred. He was obliged to say, that he for one did not
'see:his way in the course recommended by the Hon.
Member, and he certainly should not himself have pro.
'posed it. He had stated this, and bad advised that the
Measure should not be taken until Ireland was in a
state of greater composure; the day most arrive when
the great question of education must be considered and
settled ; bathe the ugh( it most prudent to wait until
Irelanifwas in a'acete of greater calm and quiet. At
the same time he would not reject the proposed inquiry,
and he should throw no obstacle in its way. But stand-
ing in this situation with. regard to the question, he
must state that he we it into the Committee with far less
sanguine hopes than those entertained by the Hon.
Gentleman. He was anxious for it to be understood
that he should not hold himself pledged to sanction or
give his acquiescence to any measure which should
grow out of any opinion the Committee might adopt.
Mr. BROWNLOW expressed his satisfaction that the
Right. Hon. Secretary for lieland had conceded this
Committee. The Hon. Member contended that the
system of the schools hitherto supported at the public
expense in Ireland had beeir justly obnoxious to the ito-
ns,in Catholics, and that the Commissioners had failed
in their object of finding thernfutral ground upon which
the two religions might meet in one general plan of
education. The object of his Hon. Fs lend was, that the
House should take up the work where they had left it;
but he agreed with the Right Hon. Secretary that in
the present state of Ireland there was great doubt whe-
ther any such system could be devises' as would give
satisfaction to all parties. He thodglit that these was not
any knowledge to be acquired worth any thing, com-
pared with a knowledge of the Bible.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT thought it unnecessary to
enter into the subject at present, as there was no doubt
a Committee would be appointed, from whose report
much good might be expected. He hoped the House
would legislate on the subject with authority, and not
yield to any party.
Mr. Secretary PEEL had no doubt but that if hie
Right Honourable Friend (the Secretary for Ireland)
rejected the present proposition, a long discussion
would be necessary, in order that every Member might
have an opportunity of stating his reasons for deeming
a Parliamentary inquiry into the subject desirable.
But as his Right Honourable Friend had acquiesced
in the motion, there could be but one opinion as
to the propriety of their present proceeding, and that
was, that the more dispassionate their conduct was,
the more they avoided every topic calculated to add to
the irritation which he feared prevailed, the more would
they be likely to promote the important ends which
they all had in view—(Hear 1) He did not understand
his Right Hon. Friend to express any wish whatever that
the inquiry should be postponed to any length of time,
bat merely to say that at preent great excitement pre-
vailed in Ireland, and that it would be advisable not to
proceed with the inquiry until that irritation should in
some measure have subsided. The Hon. Member for
Limerick had certainly put sued a most wise course in
sot bearing hard upon any of the existing institutions,
and avoided many topics which might perhaps ex-
cite angry feelings. lie (Mr. Peel) was inclined to
support the present proposition, from the circumstance
that trey had made the experiment of trying Corn-
missiorers, and that these Commissioners had not
given any precise advice to Parliament respecting the
grand object of their appointment.. There were two
points connected with the education of the people of
lieland on which be would express h!s opinions—
usocely, the extent of the public fund to be applied to
that purpose, and th- made of its application. It would
be right, he thought, to apply that assistance in aid of
benevolence, for if the public purse were devoted to the
general aid, it would have the effect of paralysing local
eke, tions—(Hear, heat). This was so clear. thst
when institutions in this country asked for public aid,
hi, invariable answer was, that by accepting it they
would not serve theurselins, for that if he gave them
public nscorty,all the private botkrces of this Charitywould
be widish aa n. Hestrongly recommended that the public
money should be distributed not by inspectors, but
that it should rather be applied in aid of local efforts,
through the agency of the resident Gentry, who, from
their influence in the country, would be enabled to do
far more than any public officers could be expected to
accomplish. Let the funds then be placed under the
direction of the resident Gentry, if such there be—and
if there were no resident Gentry, to be sure the House
could not compel it—but he did not know upon what
principle any conscientious man could derive his reve-
nues from any country, and yet refuse to contribute to
the promotion of its charities—(Hear, hear).—He would
nut now eater into an explanation of his views upon the
subject of the application of public funds to the educa-
tion of the poor in Iceland, lest he might prejudice the
question by it—(Hear). He wished to say one word with
respect to the details of the Hon. Member's proposition.
He (Mr. Peel) perfectly concurred with him in thiuking
that from the mass of information laid before the House,
lit would be wise to ?imit the Committee to the consi-
deration of these reports; but he need not go quite so
far as to exclude rigidly all further evidence which
might be deemed necessary. Let it therefore be under-
stood, that if circumstances required it, the Committee
might be allowed to call for oral examination. If the
Hon. Member would only say so much, then the Right
'Han. Gentleman would fully agree with him. One thing
he would entreat of his Hon. Friend, and of the Hon.
Member for Armagh, that if from the degree of excite-
ment existing upon this subject, the parties whose con-
currence would ben quired could not be obtained to any
new plan, then Chit these lion. Membtrs would refrain
from taking any step to deprive the people of Ireland
of the beuefit of the existing Institutions, although that
benefit might not be so full as could be wished. lie
entreated them not to seek to lose the good which they
enjoyed at present, unless they should be prepared to
supply some system of a more valuable description.

Mr. S. RICE shortly replied, and accepted of the
suggestions made by the Right Honourable Gentlemen (Mr. Lamb
and Me. Peel), as to the increase of the powets of the Committee,
if hereafter deemed requisite.

The question was then put and agreed to, and • Committee ap.
pointed, among whom Were—
Mr. S. Bice, Mr. G. Lamb, Sir J. Newport, lie. S. Bourne
Mr. W. Wynn, Mr. Dawson, Mr. V. Fitzgerald, Mr. A. Ellis,