The Sun. — 1845-03-22 (London, England)

PROVINCIAL COLLEGES IN IRELAND.  A meeting took place in the Corporation-hall, Londonderry, on Saturday last, to adopt a memorial to the Government, praying that one of the new colleges may be established in that city. The principal inhabitants of the district, without distinction of party, were present, including the Lord Bishop of Derry, Sir Robert Ferguson, M.P., Mr. T. Bateson, M.P., Dr. Boyd, M.P., Mr. Acheson Lyle, Chief Remembrancer, &c. The Mayor presided. All the gentlemen named offered their most earnest cooperation in carrying out the object of the meeting. Mr. A. LYLE, Chief Remembrancer, whilst advocating the claim of Londonderry for one of the new colleges, stated his views for enlarging the usefulness of the University of Dublin, by founding a large number, say one hundred scholarships for Roman Catholics, and the like number for Presbyterians. The Rev. W. M'CLURE, who formed one of the recent deputation to London from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, stated, from his recollection of conversations with some members of the Government, that the new Colleges are to be endowed by Government ; the Professors to be appointed without reference to religion, and subject to removal by Government. The Colleges not to have the power of conferring degrees, but to be associated with some other College, or affiliated to a University, for the purpose of granting degrees in law and medicine, but having no power to grant degrees in theology. A memorial and resolutions were adopted, and the meeting separated.  Every other county had, to a great extent, given up that abominable practice. It seemed that in Mayo this reformation had made little way, if any. There were here the same drunken habits that exis'ed in Ireland half a century before, and the high and glorious examples given in other parts of the country had no weight here. He was extremely sorry for it, when he saw what it brought so many men to. There was scarcely one of those murderous cases that did not originate in it. But he hoped in God that the day would soon come when the people would be as free from those abominable habits as they were now unfortunately addicted to them. lie could not but also regret the great difficulty he felt in arriving at the facts of the cases, or at the truth, owing to the unfortunate want of education among the peasantry of the country. There was scarcely a case in which he was not obliged to examine the witnesses through the medium of an interpreter. He did not find this to anything like the same extent in other counties in Ireland. The interpreter here was quite competent to discharge his duty, was a good Irish scholar, and well able to interpret the language ; yet from the ignorance of the people, he (the Learned Judge) felt it almost impossible to understand the cases, or get at the truth. That was a misfortune which he hoped would some day or other cease, and that the people in this county would be as well able to communicate their ideas in English as the people of other counties. It would be for their own benefit to learn the English language and receive education, for when they left the country, and went to England and elsewhere, they would find themselves in great difficulty from their not knowing that language, and from not being able to transact their business in it. His LORDSHIP then proceeded to pass sentence on the prisoners. It will be seen that thirteen have been sentenced to transportation for various periods. This is a sad picture of a county which is to all intents and purposes under the entire spiritual con' trol of the lion of the fold of Judah. And let it he borne in mind that Baron Richards is a Whig, and something more.