New-York tribune., 1879-06-03
BRITISH AFFAIRS.
IRISH CLaIMs-THE ZULU WAR.


FEATED INEFFICIENT CAVALRY IN SOUTH Az
UC,-LoRp CHRLMsFoRD's PLANS CONDEMNED.
lFRoM TiIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or rHk rkiBoNhl
LONDON, MAY 22.-Ihe VConor Don's new lrlsh
University bill got its death-blow yesterday. IL
was not yjected but the debate was adjourned anu
the Government declined TO promise day for re-
newing the discussion. So much the better. Inc
bill was the old Ultramontane wolf III sleeps cloth-
ing of a newish pattern. When it was first brougbt
In, as a private measure. the rumor ran thai the
Government had come to terms with the honian
Catholic hierarchy in Ireland, and that the pih was
TO be allowed to pass. This stirred up III
once the Protestant feeling. which, even
in this are of indifferentism, il still powerful
among large section of Liberals in the House. anu
still more powerful with still larger number OF
their constituents and supporters III the COUNTY,
The Noneonformsts the strongest single element III
the Liberal party. set their faces against H. 1he
Scotch members were the first to sound the alarm.
Ii is not necessary to detan you with the details oil
n scheme which has collapsed 1t il enough to say
that the bill provided for the creation of new
Irish IJniyersty which would have been composed
of Roman Catholic colleges under the control OF
the Roman Catholic Bishops, and that tl.ooo,ooo
sterling tS7 800 OO0) to be appropriated out OF
the public funds for its maintenance. Under 'ari-
ous dlsguses. and with various plausible pretexts
of non-denominational management, that IS What
the plan came to. 1t had one argument III Its Ia
vor and one only. The money was to be voted ont
of the surplus fund of the dsestablished Church
of England in Ireland That money had been
wrung in part from tithe-payers who were not
members of the church which extorted IT,
Il wonld be Just to restore it in some
FORM But the form adopted by the OConor
Don bill was merely proposal to remedy one III
4, a I,aaf OF Al
Moreover, there is nothing to show that the Irish
Bishops and the Vatican. from which they take
their orders, would have accepted this measure In
full satisfaction of what they call their claims.
The negotiations which went on shortly before the
session began must be fresh III your memory. Lord
Beaconsfeld, believing that there is no subject on
which bargain may not be made, tried to come 10
terms with Cardinal Manning, who represented the
Irish hierarchy. At one time he Thought success
was within his grasp. But the Catholic is more
than match for the Jew in church matters and
Lord Beaconsied discovered in the end that he was
being played with. He might be ready, for his own
part TO go any lengths. but he well knew his party
would not When it appeared that the bishops
were resolute to accept nothing short of State
endowment, the pourparlers came to an
end. Something of the same sort happens now.
Irish members who usually speak for the Bishops
prefer to say that rather than to describe them as
the mouthpieCes of the BishOps-were challenged
on this point. They declined to answer, or gave
ambiguous answers. OminOus hints were thrown
out that this measure would be accepted " as an in
stalment.v Language of that sort was fatal. The
Government had but one object in promoting the
bill it was to be rid OF the question The Liberals
of the front bench are believed TO be at least as
eager as the Conservatives to get this dispute ont OF
the way before a general election occurs Mr.. Lowe
actually gave his support TO the OCOnor Don.
Lord Harrington indicated bis desire for concilia-
ton by pressing for further discussion. But the
practical object both parties had IN view ceased to
be practicable with the failure Of af efforts to eStort
a pledge that this concession would be accepted by
the Bishops a iinality. The priests have been
playing their usual game, but they played it too
low down, and they have the modification of see
ing themselves foiled, not by organzation-for no
organization is so perfect as theirs-but by an mp
rising of patriotic good sense. The cry of justice
for Ireland has basis, doubt. Englishmen are
ready enough to listen TO it, But it will be long
before they will consent that the State should
endow a university for a system based on the
dogma that the State is subordinate 20 the Roman
Church, that the Queen Is the vassal of the Pope,
and that Irishmen are to be Catholics first and cit
zens afterward. Meantime, the existing colleges
are perfectly open to them, and their grievance has
no other foundation than the resolve of Rome that its
devotees shall grow mp ignoraht, unless the Church
has the teaching OF them.
The news from Natal continues to doubt
full complexion. A long letter from Mr.. Forbes is
published this morning, full of that technical detail
of which his early military service gives him an ac
curate knowledge. We were told long since that
one reason for the South Africa disasters of the last
few months was the want OF cavalry. Two regi-
ments of cavalry have since been sent ont. and now
if appears that one of them is unit for service and
both are III great difficulties about transport
When the Kings Dragon Guards were ordered
away the military authorities were told plainly
that the regiment was in a bad state The military
authorities must be presumed to have known II
themselves, but the Kings Dragon Guards stood
next on the roster for foreign service, and red tape
proved stronger than all remonstrances. Military
routine Is now, as III times past, more potent than
mere consideration of the public welfare. Mr.
Forbes refrans from all illusions to these criticisms.
He was III India or Burmah at the time, and per
haps he never heard them His confirmation of
them is the more striking. The troopers he de-
scribes az for the most part young town-bred fell
lows differing in every attribute, mental, moral
and physical from the old agricultural re-
cruit The non-commissioned officers are as young
as the troopers, and of the same stamp. he COM
ments on the want of regimental feeling, on the
general lnpness and helplessness pervading the
regiment, on the want of cooperation between OIL
GERS and men, and the inability of its colonel to
get it into shape supply the deficient moral eie-
ments. What is needed. moreover, in Zululand, is
light horse, but the troopers sent out, after their
equipments have been cut down to the lowest point,
ride eighteen stone. The horses are already begin
ming to knock up, and the fatal disease peculiar to
the country has made its appearance. Mr.. Forbes
thinks the prospect gloomy The transport
problem, lie says. closely approaches the insolube
The colonists are doing nothing TO forward the ex-
peditiou and much TO retard il. Neither oxen nor
drivers can be had IN sufficient numbers, and