LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

LORD BEACONSFIELD AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

[TO THE EDITOR Or THZ SPECTATOR...1

is just a year since a remarkable "declaration" on the part of Irish Roman Catholics was published, in which a claim was set forth, for the second time in the last quarter of a century, for that "educational equality" which has yet to be secured. Considering that the foundation upon which be Unionist Government, and party, rests, is "that of doing all, and more than all, that a Home-rule Parliament in Dublin could do for Ireland," there is a belief that we are at length within measurable distance of a final settlement of this vital problem. The declaration to which I have referred was signed by a vastly increased number of lay representatives of the classes to whom the question of University education in Ireland is of such importance, and was presented to Parlia- ment. The Royal University of Ireland has done good service, but it was never intended to be a lasting settlement g this question. I venture to place before your readers a remarkable and characteristic anecdote told to me by my late relative and friend, Mr. Charles Langdale. He had taken an active part in the movement for granting a Catholic University to Ireland whilst be lived for some twenty years in this country. This agitation began in the year 1852, and has ever since been continuing. Mr. Langdale told me that during the Premiership of Lord Beaconsfield, he asked the Prime Minister to grant him an interview on some matters connected with the voluntary schools in England. Lord Beaconsfield replied to Mr. Langdale by fixing a day and hour when he would gladly receive him in Downing Street. Mr. Langdale gave me the following interesting account of his interview, of which I took a note at the time. Lord Beaconsiield received him most kindly, and when the subject of the voluntary schools in England had been discussed, as Mr. Langdale was rising to take his leave, he said to Lord Beaconsfield that he took great interest in the question of University education in Ireland, and he feared the Bill then before Parliament, for erecting the Royal University on the ruins of the Queen's University, would never be found to be 3 final or satisfactory settlement of the question. Lord Beaconsfield's reply was characteristic and remarkable, and its publication at this time would, as it seems to me, be useful. He said :—" Well, Mr. Langdale, I know as well as you do what would be the just and proper settlement of this ques- tion—and what, in justice, the Roman Catholics in Ireland are entitled to—but I am aware, which, probably, you are not, all that can be done in the present temper of Parliament and the country, and I can assure you that this extension of the principle upon which the University of London rests is as much as can be carried at present. We cannot now induce Parliament to grant a suitable and direct endow- ment, but we are proposing to grant an indirect endowment through the means of Fellowships to a Roman Catholic College. This is done in such a way that it will not be under- stood; and when in due time the people of Great Britain find that they are virtually accepting the principle of an endow- ment which is quite inadequate, their sense of justice will cause them to admit that the Irish Roman Catholics are entitled to a properly endowed University College as re- gards income, buildings, and appliances." He then added these remarkable words : "In fact, Mr. Langdale, what we are doing is to place the ball at the feet of the Irish Roman Catholics, and if they do not kick it the fault will be theirs and not ours." The Irish Roman Catholics seem to me to have kicked this ball" to some purpose. On the occasion of the annual conferring of degrees by the Royal University last October, the distinguised Chancellor, Lord Dufferin, Presented the prizes, when it was found that University College, under the Jesuit Fathers, in Dublin, took the first place. This is the College spoken of by Lord Beaconsfield "as receiving an indirect and in- adequate endowment through the means of Fellowships." It must be borne in mind that even these Fellowships would not be an endowment in any sense were it not that the Majority of the Fellows are Jesuitic Fathers, who keep no income individually for themselves, but pass on all they receive to the general expenses of the College, and who by their unselfish zeal have enabled the graduates from Uni-

versity College to take the first place on the occasion of the annual examination and conferring of degrees last October. The statement which I enclose speaks for itself, and when these facts are considered and dwelt on by the people of Great Britain they will wonder why it is that adequate en- couragement and endowment is not granted to those who accomplish so much. Lord Beaconsfield foretold this, and the time has come when his opinion and remarkable saying

18974898.

Jacnours sun Exhibitions. t.--v----)

Scholarstape. Ca

.2. .0

" • ' PO

..i.

-- 1

l' ° 9 fr..

TOTAL.

e

a. a

..•-•

-- - a University College, Dublin ...

Queen's College, Belfast Queen's College, Galway Queen's College, Cork Victoria College, Belfast Clonliffe College Loreto College, Dublin Sc. Mary's College, Dublin 13 4 ... 4 6 3 2 4 ... 3 1 ... 1 ...

1 1 1 1 ... ...

... 1 1 ... ... ...

... 22 13 4 3 4 1

We now give the results of the combined summer and autumn examinations in so far as represented by the Honours, Exhibitions, and other prizes :—

University College, Dublin ...

Queen's College, Belfast ...... 35 25 37 37 3 1 1 1 1 1 77 65 Alexandra College 13 25

38 St. Mary's College, Dublin 13 7

••1

21 Loreto College, Dublin Queen's College, Galway 6 4 10 9

1

16 14 Blackrock College 2 7

9 Magee College 3 4

7 Clonliffe College . . 4

4 Victoria College, Belfast

4

4 Campbell College, Belfast

3

3 Queen's College, Cork

2

3 Rockwell College St. Colman's College, Newry 1 2 1

3 2

It will be seen by these figures that, as regards the first prizes of the University—the Fellowships and Studentships—University College, Dublin, and Queen's College, Belfast, bold equal rank. As regards the other distinctions, University College is beyond all its competitors. The complete list of the University Honours, shows that University College has succeeded in winning five out of the seven First-class Exhibitions awarded at the BA. examinations, that it holds first and second places in mathemati- cal science, first and second places in ancient classics, first place in history and political economy, and first place in modern literature.

[We trust that Lord Beaconsfield's remarkable statement will be noted by those timid Conservatives who think the University question should not be touched by a Unionist Government. Lord Beaconsfield missed a great opportunity for want of courage to do an act of justice and take the con- sequences. He had, however, many excuses in the then existing state of opinion. No such excuse now exists, and if the present Government allows itself to be frightened out of an act of wise policy as well as of justice it will make a capital blunder.—ED. Spectator.]