The Irish standard., 1908-04-25

lectual laws almost as degrading, as
humiliating and as destructive of any
brutal penal laws, of old" Mr.. Wynd-
ham saw in the plan "a bold use of
fair opportunity which would pre-
vent the growing disparity between
lreland's and England's educational op-
portunities." Finally, Sir Edward Car
son regarded the proposal as "the only
possible solution for the educational
difficulties of Ireland" Here we have
a remarkable consensus of opinion
which should float the hill and carry
it safely and quickly through Parlia-
ment. 1t is true that the scheme pro-
posed will be disappointment to those
Catholic laymen who, since 1902, have
striven for a settlement that should
give the Collegiate education within
the University of Dublin" which Mr.
Bryce's plan offered to them. But that
plan raised such a storm of opposition
that it never lived to find embodiment
in a bill. Mr.. BirrclTs scheme has not
only been presented to Parliament as a
bill and there hailed With approval by
men of all parties, butswould seem to
have been assured beforehand Of gen
eral cooperation and support.
Mr.. Birrell has had a distinct advant-
age in taking the problem up afte' Mr.
Bryce. Knowing better than most
Protestants the requirement of Irish
Catholics, Mr.. Bryce prepared the way
for solution, and laid down principles
from which his successor gained light
and guidance He insisted upon the
necessity of equality and of taking due
account of the wishes of the Catholic
population. His mistake was to arouse
the hostility Of Trinity College. Mr..
Birrell has left the Dublin University
untouched and thus gained the good
will of the authorities. He is indeed
in the happy position Of having with
him Catholics and Protestants with
the exception of an insignificant sec
tion of the Orangemen), and as the
Conservatives and Nationalists, as we'll
as the members of his own party. The
main purpose of. his bill is to satisfy
the desires alike 81 the Catholics and
the Presbyterians. There are to be
two universities-one in Dublin and
the other in Belfast. The Queens College
in the latter city will be the Northern
University. The university in Dublin
will have as constituent colleges a new
college which will be set up there and
the two Southern Queens Colleges. The
examining body known as the Royal
University is to disappear. The Sen
ates will be nominated by the Crown
that time will be elective, though the
Crown will still reserve the right to
make some nominations. AS sort of
Protestant safeguard seven members
of its denominations have been placed
OH the Dublin Senate of thirty-six; but
on the Belfast Senate there is only one
Catholic representative. A further
Protestant precaution has been taken
by means of the proviso that the first
president Of the new Dublin College
shall be a layman. To these arrange
nent-signs of needless fear Of the in
fiuence of the Catholic clergy-neither
the Catholic priests nor the Catholic
laity object. The professional staff in
Dublin will at first be nominated by a
statutory commission, but after the
lapse of five years they will be appoint
ed by the Senate. Power is taken to
affiliate institutions capable Of giving
a university training and Maynooth
and Magee Colleges will, no doubt
avail themselves Of it to procure de-
grees for their students. The sum of
e e10o,000-an Exchequer grant of
100000 and $4,000 from the Irish
Church Fund-will be divided between
the two universities, Belfast will get
6 10000, half the Church Fund charge
and G18,000 by way of annual endow-
ment. For the endowment and main
tenance of the new college in Dublin
d sum of $4,000 a year will be SET
Iaside. Queens college, Cork, will gel
6 $4,000 a year. and Queens College
Galway, E12.O0o. AS building grants
100000 will be allotted for the new
university in Belfast and E15O,OOO for
dublin.