The sun., 1898-02-27
PROJECT FAILS.
TINE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, LONDON,
ABOUT TO COLLAPSE.

,,u,, Pet Project or tho Prince OF wales
Tb, Catholic Univorsity Debate Un-
.os,,u.p,,Le Spirit shown In BnEland-
nav, Madrid IL Amusing Itseir Nowadays.
1oypoS Feb. IL. Tho Imperial Institute,
~h,ch was originated TO commemorate Queen
victoria's Jubilee twelve years ago. Is on the
roint OF collapse. Visitors to London will re-
member the imposing lonely looking pile OF
buildings in South Kensington. Probably few
~ them took tho trouble to go inside. Ger
tainly not one Londoner in thousand has
done so during all its career. Now the off,
cial intimation from the colony OF Victoria
tbnt II has withdrawn its contribution to the
maintenance Of the institute has been taken up
nv the other colonies, and tho concern's sole
reason for existence is gone. Probably 1t
would not have lived so long had II not been q
No, proiect Of the Prince of Wales. 1t was sup
nosed TO encourage the idea of colonial and i'm
nerial federation, but just how nobody has ever
e1plsined The public at large held aloof from
the first. They were discouraged by the deco
ration. hunting officials who secured the man
ngemcnt The smart set in Bclgrayia and May.
fair would not cross its doors for tho world ex-
cont when once in year or two the Prince Of
Wales attended n reception there. They had
more exciting pastimes than study ying emigra-
tion books or looking at strange roots and skiHs.
The result was that tho building became dull,
decorous club for South Kensington residents
Their smoking rooms and billiard rooms and
cut.and.dried debates have apparently not i'm
pres sed the colonial mind with the utility of tho
enterprise.
It is known that the present Premier Of Vic
tpria, Sir George Turner, when in England as a
- Of the nation last year, repeatedly stated
l. ;ni, tl,t ~. 80
small value to his colony in return for the main.
tenance expenditure. But little time has
elapsed since his return home for an authorita
tive expression by the Colonial Ministry un-
favorable to the continuance of any subsidy,
and the plea of compulsory economy is put for
ward as the first reason for their action.
The representatives of the other Australasian
colonies in London are disposed to follow suit
and drop their connection with the institute.
They emphasize Its absolute uselessness as at
present conducted to the colonies. One high
official said:
"victoras determination to stop supplies
will, do not doubt, be followed by the other
colonies never before saw big scheme start
with such blaze and hzzle out SO suddenly. or
course, the depression in the colonies has had
much to do with 1t, but the mistakes which
have been made and the feebleness of its milk
and.water policy would have destroyed the
best organized scheme on earth. The insti-
tute does practically nothing for the Australian
colonies but merely make a yearly levy on
them Of an absurdly large amount for mainte-
nance expenses. thorough reconstruction or
an early closing of the institute appears to me
to be the only alternative OPEN"
There is a widespread feeling that a real I'M
perial Institute is still wanted. An effort will
Ia ID t,,t-. IT..
Idea and thereby secure that at any rate the
next scheme shall be carried out with more
energy and business ability and appreciation
Of the needs Of the time than the last. The po-
Gtion o. the present building in London is a
fatal bar to its ever becoming more widely use
ful or popular.
MIR. Dillon moved an amendment 20 the address
in reply to the Queens speech declaring that
1t was "the duty of her Majesty's Government
Immediately to propose legislation with view
to placing Irish Catholics on footing of eauali.
ty with their fellow countrymen of other re-
hglous denominations in all matters concerned
with university education" and 1t was mega
tved In the House of Commons last night with
out division. But the friends of a Catholic
university for Ireland are on the whole pleased
with the debate and the prospects of their
cause. The fate OF the amendment was q mat
ter.of course; for. being an amendment to the
governments address of thanks for the speech
containing the legislative programme for the ses-
hon, IL would have meant the overthrow of the
government had 1t been carried. The chief
interest OF the debate was Mr.. Arthur Balfour's
appeal to his followers to join him in granting
the demand. Mr.. Dillon made point in his
tpeech OF telling the English Home Rulers
tnat In their opposition to Catholic univer-
hty they were opposing what the Home Rule bill
would have enabled Ireland to do for herself.
lreland's wealth, he said lay not in her mines
ana industries, but In the brains of her chill
afen and the fertility of her soil, the means for
he development of both of which had long
oeen denied by England. Mr.. Il. VI. Healy per-
uhently pointed out that to establish univer-
sty education in Ireland, so that it could reach
"' majority or the people, was a necessary
part OF the Unonist position. The Tablet.
which Is probably the only Catholic Unonist
paper In the world. and carries great weight
win the Catholics of England, deals with Mr..
balfour's position thus:
AT the close OF a mastery speech Mr.. Bal
iour, after scattering to all the winds the fee
DIG fragments of arguments by which alone IL
AAu oeen sought to resist the Catholic claim,
uAue this frank but melancholy confession: 4
1u forced, reluctantly and with grief, to ad-
mil that here is one question, vital to any
healthy society. question of enormous i'm
goftahce, question the Importance of which is
aailS being more recognized in every civilized
community throughout the world, with which
We stand' by our own confession, unable to
ueal cannot, by'any authority which can
' "'eio' solve tho question unless l have
1en'na mo the opinion OF the party to which
: oelong. But what condemnation to this
party 10 have to confess that we cannot deal
win ms question! How arc we to meet our
','t'cs when they ask us how we make out our
.'a'h as Cnionists TO deal with the necessi.
"eS OF lreandf And the civilized world will
.eho The words, How indeedf The situation
20 nuihiIiating enough for the Unionist party
whole. but for its Catholic members it Is
'ast @ becoming intolerable
University education is offered to the Catholics
y. ireland on conditions which they will not
.0'op'' That is the bottom fact OF the situa-
uon' ana the one which has got to be reckoned
"''n oy Parliament. A few generations ago
~ s mousse OF Commons might have thought
naI the simplest thing to do under The circum-
'os would be just TO rearrange the con-