The Dublin correspondent of the Times stated in last Satan.
day's issue that the Government had "definitely abandoned the idea of introducing an Irish University Bill daring the present Session of Parliament." This statement, which also appeared in the Irish Times, had been virtually forestalled by a para- graph which appeared in the Daily Chronicle some little time ago. Mr. Birrell, however, in replying to a deputation from the province of Connaught with reference to the position of the Queen's College, Galway, under any official scheme of Irish University reform, declared that there was not a word of truth in the statement that the Government had " abandoned the projected legislation for this University question." The Dublin correspondent of the Times in Monday's issue stands to his guns and repeats his statement, on authority which he regards as "absolutely unimpeachable." Mr. Birrell has declared that the Government propose to deal with the Irish University question "at the earliest possible moment" and "as quickly as we can," but the Times correspondent contends that this declaration involves no contradiction of his own carefully limited statement. The contention is legitimate enough. For the Government might conceivably abandon the Irish University Bill and introduce a clause into their Devolution Bill entrusting the settlement of the whole education question to the new National Council.
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