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Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-06-10 00:00:00

inperial Varliament.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-514mpAy.

The Duke of WELLINGTON rose to move the second
reading of the Maynooth Bill, and took a review of Irish
affairs from the time of the reformation down to the year
1793, when the penal laws were repealed. The noble
Duke had not proceeded far when—
The Duke of NEWCASTLE rose to ask whether the.
Duke of Wellington had obtained the Queen's consent to'
make the speech he had done ?
Lord BROUGHAM called upon the Duke of Wellington
not to answer the question, and denied that the consent
of the crown was reriuisite to enable that house to-discuss
the bill upon the table.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE again attempted to address,
the house, amidst loud cries of "order," and eventually
the Duke of 'Wellington was called upon to proceed. The'
noble Duke then referred to the history of the establish-
ment of the College during the lord-lieutenancy of the
late Marquis Camden. The necessity for educating the
Roman Qatholics at house arose from the state of the con-
tinent at the time, over which the triumphant armies of
the French republic were then marching; and now that a
different aspect of affairs bad happily arisen, the govern-
ment considered it wise and proper to continue a system
of domestic education to the Roman Catholic priests who
were to administer to the great majority of the Irish peo-
ple the rites of the Roman Catholic church. He admitted
that the expectations indulged in on the first establish-
ment of the institution had not been real-zed. but this he
attributed to the scanty means placed at hie disposal. The
bill before the house increased those means, and he hoped
in future to see an improvement in the education, man-
ners. and habits of the students. They had supported
the institution for half a century ; during twenty years of
that time the country had been engaged in war. What-
ever might be the opinion as to the legal effect of the deci-
sion of their lordships on the writ of error in September
last, he believed there was no man in his senses who now
doubted that it was absolutely hopeless and impossible to
carry any measure by violence or tumult in Ireland con-
trary to the wishes of the government and parliament of
this coauttry. Standing thus intrenchei, and without any
danger Whatever pressing on them—knowing as they did
that the great body of persons engaged in tumultuous pro-
ceedings two Years ago were Roman Catholics, it would
look somewhat like persecution if, having supported this
institution so Tong, they now withdrew from it the pa-
tronage of the state. He trusted they would give the it
unanimous.consent to the bill.
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE looked upon this as a politi-
cal, nos a religious question ; and vs such, he contended
it was in every sense one of the most conciliatory and wise
measures that had been proposed for many years in par-
liament.
Lord RoDEN then rose to move the amendment which
he had given notice of, for a select committee to inquire
into the character of the education given at Maynooth,
with the avowed object of getting rid of the bill. If, as
he thought, the annual grant had been inconsistent with
the duty of a protestant government, much more was he
opposed to this measure, which permanently endowed an
institution over which the state could not exercise the re-
quisite control. He drew a broad distinction between to-
leration and endowment. The first ground laid for this
measure was, that it would tend to conciliate the Roman
Catholics. No one was more anxious than he was to con-
ciliate his Roman Catholic fellow subjects, but he could
not consent to "do evil that good might come." In-
stead. however, of being reeeived as a boon, it had been
bailed in Ireland as a measure extorted by fear ; and he
quoted the letter of Dr. Higgins to show that no concilia.
t iry effects could result from the measure. Nor did he
think it would do anything to improve the sort of educe-
' tion given at Maynooth. It would merely afford facilities
for recruiting the priesthood from the lower classes of the
people. By a reference to the text books and many de-
tails in the history and conduct of the institution, the
noble lord maintained that the system of instruction given
there had anti-social and disloyal tendencies. To ascer-
tains that fact he proposed a committee of inquiry, and
the people of England, who had petitioned so largely
against the bill, would not be satisfied if investigation
were refused. Sir R. Peel himself had, in 1810, declared
that he should vote for the grant with much more
satisfaction if there was an inquiry, which the principals
of the college should be the first to promote, " when so
strong an impression prevailed that their system of edu-
cation stood in need of improvement." If inquiry were
thutight necessary when the giant was annual, how much
more now, when the endowment was to be permanent ?
This bill was considered by the protestants of Ireland as
a heavy blow to their interests. They felt that they had
been betrayed by those whom they were taught to consi-
der their friends, and they might well be disgusted w:th
the-line of policy that was pursued when they found that
they were to be sacrificed to the bowl of a priesthood
which had always been the great enemy of British con-
nexion.
The Bishop of LONDON thought the noble earl had made
out a case for inquiry with reference to the bill, itself.
After the most careful and anxious consideration, be found
himself under the painful necessity of refusing his assent
to it, as involving a violation of one of the most funds-
ineetal principles of the constitution, while it held out no
prospect of such advantage as might be thought to justify
it on the grounds of expediency. The principles taught at
Maynooth were calculated to make the priests democrats
in politics, and in the church intolerant bigots. They
were at of inconeistent with the faithful discharge of
duty to the state, and utterly incompatible with the main-
tenance of peace in a commonwealth composed of persons
healslg different opinions. Could they be justified, then,
in endowing a college to carry out such a system without
at least exacting from those to be intrusted with the work-
ing of it some distinct and definite pledge that the system
itself should he improved, and its worst features removed ?
This was the first link that had been forged to tie together
the state and the Roman Catholic Church. He would
of MaYricoth an integral iSe'rt or trie'con.titutime''ritt
1e5.g.e.e.e.......h pare and charitable motives of the go-
vernment in bringing forward this measure. He could
well understand their embarrassment when they turned
their eye to the man of Ireland ; but the right principle on
whicb, in his opinion, that country should be governed
was this—never for any consideration to do what was
clearly wrong in principle; to do their best to discover
what was right; to follow it out hoceetly and fearlessly
trusting for the issue to the Supreme Disposer of events,
who, in accordance with His written word, would deal fa-
vourably with that nat. on which upheld His own truth, or
at least did nothing to impede its progress.
The Bishop of CASHEL urged the necessity of inquiry.
His own mind was indeed made up on the subject, but in-
quiry would be useful to those who had not so strong opi-
nions as he entertained, both with reference to the injuri-
ous system of separate education for ecclesiastics and the
intrusion of Jesuits into the College of Maynooth. The
main ground, however, on which he objected to this bill
was, that he could not be a party to teach what he consci-
entiously believed to be erroneous. It was not Christian
charity or morality that he should teach to others what
was antagonist to his belief as a Protestant by conviction. ;
and before the state could honestly and consistently en-
dow a Roman Catholic Coll« ge she must unproteatantize
herself. He would infinitely prefer the voluntary system
to the endowment of two rntagonist churches.
One or two other peers having addressed the house, the
debate was adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

The following railway bills were respectively read a tbird
time and passed; the Midland Railways (Nottingham to
Lincoln ;) the Berks and Hants Railway ; the Midland
Railway (Lyston to Peterborough;) the Southampton and
Dorchester Railway, and the Kendal and Windermere
Railway.

The debate on the Colleges (Ireland) Bill was resumed ;
after speeches in favour of the second reading by Mr. M.
Milnes, Lord J. Russell, Lord Mahon, Mr. V. Stuart,
Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Osborne, Mr. W. E. Gladstone, Mr.
Wyse, Sir R. Peel, Mr. M. J. O'Connell, Mr. Shaw, and
Sir V. Blake (several of whom expressed the hope of
amending it in committee); and against it by Mr. B.
Hope and Mr: Acland, the house divided, when the se-
cond reading was carried by 311 against 46.