The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-15
Tho Irisl. UnIveFszty HiI11EoFe FACTS
Rearing Upon Its Defeat I'm Paraia-

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IFront,he Now York papers II
The only universities Ia Ireland capable OIL
comforting degrees are Trinity College, al
Dublin. aud the Queens University, which
has colleges In the provinces Of Ulster, Mnn-
ster, aud Conuaught. Trinity College Is the
Older foundation, and has always been the
chief nursery of, the late State Church in Ire
land The governing body must be chiefly
composed Of Protestant Episcopalian divlnes,
and every dignitary Of the foundation, with
out exception, must be of the favored creed.
Until 1893 1t was accessible to Protestant
students alone. Nonconformists were then
made eligible to a number of prizes, but it
Is still, as the authorities recently said,
based on the principles Ut the Protestant
religion, and distinguished by its Protestant
constitution" Its whole history and asso-
Citations are purely and exclusively Protest
ant; and its literature and phi losephy are,
in great degree, ofa Protestant complexion.
These circumstances naturally have the ten
Catholic students, who only average from so
to 80 out of population of more than
100000 souls-from five to seven per cent.
OF all the students in attendance. OF course
it possesses attractions for Protestants alone,
and is regarded with little sympathy by
Roman Catholics.
The central idea 81 Sr: Gladstoness bill!
was the enlargement of the University of
Dublin to include the ancient seat Of learn
ing Trinity College, and also the Queens
colleges, the Catholic College, Magee Col
iege, and other institutions, the University
itself to remain entirely unsectarian, and its
governing body to be free from the repre-
sentation of any ecclesiastical influences.
The matter was considered, as are all mat
tiers which turn upon the unhappy relations
between Ireland and England, without much
reference to the practical requirements Of the
occasion. The principle of the bill, as it was
announced from an authoritative quarter,
was the admission of denominationa COL
Ieges within the fold Of the National Uni.
versity; permitting students educated in
Catholic colleges to become matriculated
members of national university, to COM
pete for its prizes, and to be received among
its graduates. This seemed to the Govern
ment, as it will seem TO many others, a sub
stantial and reasonable concession. 1t APP
pcarcd to the Catholics as no concession at
all, and to the Episcopalian partisans as a
concession beyond reason.
The question of Irish university education
was discussed with great earneStnesS by the
Roman Catholic prelates IF that country in
the Synod of Thurlcs, and the debate has
been continued in diocesan councils and the
public press with more or less animation
since. The Queens University was con-
dcmncd, and provision made for the opening
of the Catholic University in Dublin. Since
then the claim of the Irish hierarchy, with
reference TO higher class education, has as
sumed very great importance. Cardinal
Cullen sent formal memorial to Sir
George Grey on the question. This docu-
ment alleged the endowments and Protestant
character of Trinity College, Dublin that
the Queens colleges failed, for the majority
of their students instead of being Catholic
arc Protestant; detailed the foundation OF
the Catholic University by the bishops, and
claimed the privileges conferred upon other
acadcmicaI institutions y; but added that the
bishops still accept as Gan instalment oil
Justice in educational matters the proposal
to introduce notifications into the existing
university SYSTEM" provided " these changes
do not interfere with Catholic tcachng.''
Assembled in Maynooth q short time since,
the Irish bishops demanded that " if one IA.
tonal university for examining candidates
and couterring degrees be established the
Catholic people OF Ireland shall have IL dis.
tinct college, conducted upon purely Catholic
principles, and at tue same time fully par
ticipating in the privileges enjoyed by other
colleges, of whatsoever denomination OF
character; that the examinations and all
other details of university Arrangement be
free from every influence hostile to the re-
ligious sentiments of Catholics, and that
| with this view the Catholic element be ado.
quatcIy represented upon the Senate or other
supreme university body by persons enjoy
inw the confidence of the Catholic bishops
,.ricrts mud 1nnnln nf lrnln y