New-York tribune., 1873-03-24
THE IRISH UNIVERSITY BILL.
THE DEBATE ON IT'S REJECTION.

s.oNr. AND oTHERs-sCENEs ON THE
DrRATE AND FINAL VOTE ON THE BILL.
,,,,or tbe Irish University bin came before the
r...h Uonse of Commons the 11th of March
q, soal consideration of the motion to pass to a
o.,a reading. it had already been under discus
=. ,or;nc four adjourned sittings, extending over
oor;oa Of one week. In the course of the debate
a.. .b;oct gradually passed out of the limit of
,..,; criticism into the field of political conten-
A.. The possibility of the detection of large
-tor Of the Liberals had become so great that, on
Ar rrevions night March 10 the Government found
!, necessary to make strong effort to retain Them
In the course of speech on that sitting Mr.. Card
-srl the Secretary of State for War, in closing
.he debate for the evening, said the points
heb had been criticised ali matters of detail,
t Of the essence of the bill, which had been much
misunderstood. The main object, he said, was to
tablish q great National University in Ireland, but
tbe points TO which objection was taken-vlz., the
a;ssolution of the Queens University and the ab0l
tion of Galway College, the gagging clauses" and
tbe constitution of the Council-were all open for
discussion in committee and there nothing to
hind the House TO abide by the bill as 1t stands.
Over all these points Mr.. Cardwell travelled again
s5,afm, repeating with regard to each that if the
House would 20 INTO conulllJee tuey WOulu De Optn
q amendment. He denied that the dissatisfaction
Of the Irish Prelates any reason for withdraw
Spe the bill 1t was the duty of the Government not
20 be discouraged by this circumstance, and cOnsid
ering the Importance of the object in view, be earn
sstly entreated the House to read the bill second
tme-to go into committee to expunge those pro-
visions which were Objectionable, and to adhere to
those which stood the test of argument
The concession which Mr. Cardwell offered was
too late 10 be Of efficient service 1t was calculated
70 satisfy the Liberals, but it offended the Roman
Catholics. When Mr.. Cardwen announced that the
Goyernmeut did not regard the Council of the Uni
yerty as an essential part of the bill, it was de-
elsred by one member of the opposition that all
fundamental objection ought to be over, and that
the House ought TO pass through the second reading
and 20 into Committee at once. When the debate
opeped on the 11th of March, the House was only
moderately well filed many of the seats. especially
on the Liberal side being vacant. The first import
Ant speech was by Mr.. O'Reilly, an Irish member,
who. il Is said, has never showed himself man of
extreme or impractical views, and who is supposed
10 be rather ministerial than otherwise in his lean
ugs He declared that until Mr.. CardwelPs an
pouncement he had felt disposed to cOndOne every
thing but that he was compelled to draw the sword
and throw away the scabbard when he heard the
remarkable admission on the part Of the Govern
ment.
NJ BouveTie. the Liberal member for KilmaTnock,
who was loudly called for, denounced the measure
As miseraby bad and scandalousy inadequate to its
professed object In accordance with sound parlia-
mentarv doctrine he should vote against the second
reading He thought the problem the Government
had set before itself insOluble the bill had
failed to touch the difficulty, and the changes made
n ito Judge from Mr.. O'Reilly's speech-would
he tod nv wi
10 please. The bill, he argued, had broken
down The Roman Catholic Prelates were the
exponents of the grievance-at least, Mr. Glad
rOne would not deny it, since he had negotiated
with them TO the exclusion of the lalty.
They demanded endowment and separate edu-
cation and this bill aid not give II, what was the
use Of iti In this part of his speech Mr. BouVerie
made some caustic remarks on the dlscordant views
Of the Cabinet in the matter of concurrent endOw-
nent.7 which involved him in running fire with
Nh. Gladstone Mr. Lowe Mr. Chichester Fortescue,
and Lord Harrington According TO the old COnsti-
tutonal practice he added, Cabinet which was SO
divided should not have attempted TO deal with a
measure Of frst-rate importance. Discussing the de-
tails of the BILL be characterized the restrictions on
education as bad joke" the apparent effect OF
which was to make educationIn Ireland more ." god
less Under the semblance Of mixed education at
toe outset the bill contained provisions which IN 20
years would hand the University entirely to the
priests and make of it a Roman Catholic University
a the old University stamp.
AO O'Clock IN the evening the O'COnor Don was
,idressug an almost empty house, Mr.. Ayrton being
The sole occupant of the Treasury bench. This
speaker expressed his dissatisfaction equally wtb the
changes IN the bill and the omission TO propose other
things. Half an hour afterward Mr.. Disraeh came In
and Joined Lord John Manners the front opposition
bench and subsequently, Mr.. Bright came in almost
simultaneously with Mr.. Cardwen. Mr. Gladstone
wearing flower in his coat, returned at quarter 10
tD Just before half past ten the House was somewhat
more than half filed, and in very excited state
Mr. Disraen then rose amid loud cheers from his sup
The news rapidly spread through the precincts
the House that the Conservative leader was up, and
members hurriedly hocked IN till within the space OF
quarter OF hour all ordinary seats were occupied
and members thronged the bar, filed the space under
NE galleries behind the sergeantatarms, and occupied
The galleries that parallel with the Chamber.
Mr.. Disraeh began his speech in humorous vein by
eautOnng the House not conclude prematurey that
the points sad Of the essence Of the bill had
been withdrawn. Indeed II the Government had giVeu
every point in ther bill, they ought TO have with
erawn instead Of insisting its being read second
time as Of confidence. Should vote OF confidence
R required sincere (Dot candid friend-Mr
Locke King for Ipstance-might be asked TO propose II,
And the opposition certainly had wish TO oppose It,
1here being then no proof that the Government had
"faNh any OF the clauses, Mr. Dlsraeh pfoceeuoo
!" consider the bill IT'S merits, without inquiring
ie'o Is origin or its consequences. And first be
o'leeeo TO the bin because 1t proposed 20 institute
on'ersity which not universal Not that he com
Ded OF this University teaching everything, but
asserted that there instance in medieval or
o"uerh history Of University being established with
@ f~euiV OF Arts emsscuated and mutilated as this
VI proposed He complained earnestly of the transfer
'e Theological faculty to 4he Disestabshed Church,
IO"uhg out the danger that there wound be no power