, 1873-03-14
TIE ENGLISH POLITICAL CRISIS.

English politics are once more in q state Of
ferment, growing ont OF the defeat of the Glad
stone Ministry Oh the Irish University bill. Mr.
Gladstone, the leader OF the Liberal party, has
resigned and it is announced that Atr. DisraeG,
tho Iesder OF the Conservatives, has been
summoned to form a new Government. Daring
Mr. Gladstonea Premiership, two OF the ques-
tions which hhro always distracted Irish affairs
hare been sott1e1~the disostabIshnent Of tho
Church, and the extension Of tenant right.
Tho third, the establishment Of g
Catholic University for Ireland, which
has always been the favorite measure
Of Cardinal Cullen, is the real question which
has brought about the defeat Of the Ministry:
The demand OF tho Cardinal and his party has
been that the new University should be entirely
free from Stat O control, in order that Catholic
youth might be educated az they pleased. Mr.
Gladstone uas anxious to make such conces-
sione as, would gave the Irish Catholic vote in
Parliament to tho Liberals, but could not, With
my show Of justice, concedo such privilege to
the Roman Catholics, after disestab1ish-
ing the Ptotcstants: and 30 the present bill
wss drawn up az q compromise. Thoro arc
but two Universities in Ireland.-Dublin Uni
vsraity and The Queens University,-the former
being practically Trinity College. The Queens
University includes the three Queens Colleges
of Cork, Belfast and Galway, aud, outside Of
these, no student in the other Irish Colleges
can obtain his degree. There are serora1 Meth
odist aud Presbyterian Colleges in Ireland, but
their graduates to obtain degrees, must also
graduate in tho Queens University. Trinity
College Was originally Protestant Episcopal
institution, and its honors we're only Civ
On to subscribers to the Thirty-nine Arti-
has been a strictly unsectarian establish
mont, at which all the leading Roman Catholics
OF Ireland have taken degrees, and in which even
Roman Catholic Professors are employed In
the Qreen's University, likewise, no special form
Of religion Is recognized, and, with the e1cep-
tion Of feuowships. all it's honors are open to
Btudenta. without reference to religious tests.
Notwithstanding these liberal provisions, ths
w 0SsA+
Tersitios, for the reason that they wish to hare
their youth educated within tho control and
under the influence OF the Church, aud they
demand SIS their nltimatum charter and an
endowment for Catholic University and
College, to be supported BY the State, and to be
under the absolute control OF the Church. This
demand, Of courHo. Mr. Gladstone dared not
comply with, and, in its stead, made the prop
osition to abolish the organizations both Of tho
Dublin and Queon's Universities, and to estab-
lish in their stead sn Irish National University,
With power to confer its degrees upon the std
dents Of ali colleges in ireland, or upon any stu
dent who could pasa it's examinations. The Hiat-
ops however, ,refusodto accept any such substitute
for their exclusive and secta1ian proposition,
and have 1abored and agitated against the MEAS
ure until they have succeeded in defestlng
it. The entire Conservative vote, evidently
fo1 political Iessons. in addition to fnrtE-