New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-20

moro than fvc times as many furnished b
tie l,2l4,s33 Protestants. Making allow
snces for possible excess Of Roman Catht
lies who are incapacitated BY reason Of the
poverty from sending their children TO u
universities, another classification will shor
the same result. There are 1876 Roma
Catholic pEop.ietors Of land, and $685.
more engaged in commerce, trade. manufat
lures. mechanics. and in thg learned an
liberal professions the Proie>tauts in III
same categories arc 1856 and 26+ ,2)l
Thus, Of those capable Of sending their chill
dren to university. 567 800 Roman CathC
lies have 500 students, and go ,l27 Protest
ants have 900 students.
Numerous expedients have been PROPOSE
as a solution Of this question. Proninen
among them is that of Nr. Fawceit, to whicl
reference has already been made. The mos
/ important feature OF his PIN is the compiled
Secnlarization OF Trinity College, snd III
throwing open of It's offices and houurs 10 al
its members whatever their creed At In,
same time he would divide the government
and the administration between two board
In some measure elected by popular suffrage
but in the main composed of the present au
thorities. He proposes. therefore, to abolish
religious tests Of every description a condi
tons for being awarded the prizes OF The
place, and 70 make a slight change in thu
rulers only. Having, by these means, secured
complete sectarian equality and provided foi
certain, If gradual, progress, he believes that
be would have met every just requirement o.
Ireland as 10 university education
The plan of Mr.. Gladstone Incorporated
the leading idea Of Mr. Fswcett for the secu.
isrization Of Trinity College. But his bill
contained n minuteness Of detail for which
he had already acquired some distinction on
former occasions. His bill was introduced
INTO the House OF Commons on tho 18th OF
February. In long speech which he deliv-
cred on the occasion, he explained the priu-
cipal points which he had in view. Before
proceeding to describe the mode in which
this principle was to be carried out. he men,
toned that the Queens colleges OF Belfast
and Cork were to DO retained, aud that the
Galway College WAS to he wound up in 1876,
and that 1t would be proposed 70 merge the
queens University into Dublin University.
The bill would proceed on two principles
which had been already applied to the reform
OF the English universities; that is, tests
would be abolished and the university emau-
clpated from the colleges members would
be introduced into the university not belong
ing TO any Of the colleges, and the colleges
would be taxed for the benefit of the uniyer-
necessary to depart from the English prece-
dent-for instance limit must be placed on
academlcal teaching; and, for time at least,
the governing body must be subjected to the
action OF the Crown and of Parliament.
The bill contemplated three periods. On
January / 1873, the powers exercised By the
provost and seven senior fellows at Trinity
College IN relation TO the university Wero to
be handed over to the new governing body :;
then was to follow provisional period dur
ing which certain special arrangements were
to prevail and after 1885, when the new sys.
tenn should be fully developed, the permanent
rules were to come into force. FIRST Of all
the University Of Dublin was to be incorpor-
ated, which 1t never has been yet; the Theo-
logical faculty was to be separated from
Trinity College and handed over to the rep
resentatiye boiy Of the dsestablished church
with compensation for vested interests and a
charge tor its maintenance. The chancellor
was to be appointed by the Crown, and to re-
tain his present function Of visitor of Trinity
College; the vice chancellor was to be elect
ed by the governing body. The Queens
Colleges of Cork and Belfast, the Roman
Catholic University, and the Magee College
were to become colleges of the university, as
were to be other institutions also in the course
Of time.
The governing body was to be constituted
in the first place Of twenty-cight ordinary
to be nominated in the act all va
cancies were to be filled alternately by the
Crown and by cooperation during the pre-
liminary period Of ten years, and afterward
four members were to retire annually, one
successor to be appointed by the Crown, one
by the Council, one by the professors, and
one by the Senate. Besides these ordinary
members every college which has fifty stu
dents in statu pupillari natriculated in the
were to be allowed t. elect one
member Of Council, and each college which
has hundred and fifty such students must
elect two members.
The Senate was to consist oil ali Doctors
and Masters Of Arts who keep their names
on the books, and include those now qualified
both in Dublin and the Queens University,
with special provisions during the first three
years after 1875 for the admission Of persons
who have resided for sufficiently long time
in the other colleges. The new university
was to be teaching as we'll as an examining
body; but for the security Of conscience there
were 10 be no chairs In theology, moral phil
osophy, or in modern history. Nor should
any student be examined in the two latter
subjects against his will, and these subjects
were to be absolutely excluded from all ey-
aminatons for eInoluments.
From the present revenues Of Trinity Cob
lege were 10 be taken the cost Of providing
for vested interests, and contribution OF
SEQ 900 year to the new university. This
would still leave Trinity College the richest
in Christendom. The expenses OF the ex-
tended university Mr. Gladstone estimated at
$3.50 900, viz: Sl25,0 for the encourage
ment Of learning, 100000. year for the
staff Of professors, and 32j, 900 for examina-
tons, buildings, and general expenses. This
sum was to be thus provided for: $50, 900 by
Trinity College, $50, 900 from the consolidated
fund, and ;25, 900 from fees, and the re-
mainder from the surplus Of the ecclesiasticai
property Of Ireland. Finally, power was TO
be given to Trinity College to form scheme
for its own self-govenment. So, also, the
other colleges would have the same powers /;
and as TO the preponderance of lay or ecclo-
siastical influence In them, each must settle
the point for Itself. The bill, although grant
ing equal privileges to all sects, failed In it.
principal object-it did not find favor With
the Roman Catholics, who would accept
nothing less than the endowment Of q sec
tartan institution Of their own Tri6me.
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Thadipsx Steyens, Nnnu.noos