To these arguments the Archbishop of ARMAGH added his mite.
The Catholics object to the whole Bible being read in school; therefore the Protestants should insist on the whole Bible being read. The Bible ought to be in every little boy's hand, to prove that the extracts from it are correct. The extracts for the Catho- lics should be made from the Protestant version. If the Catholics will educate children without the Protestant Bible, they may do so. Unless the Catholics get all they want, they will never be satisfied.
Lord Wiexeow corroborated the views of the other Lord and the Archbishop, by a notable fact—Mr. O'CONNELL told Colonel PERCEVAL, who told Lord WICKLOW, that MT. STANLEY had changed his mind on the subject of Irish education, because Mr. Molar/ELL threatened him.
The Duke of WELLINGTON thought the system of Ministers was wrong, because, though the question had been agitated twenty- five years, he had doubts on the subject. Moreover, the Duke thought, if the grant to the Protestants were continued, the peo- ple would remain quite satisfied; but if it were taken from them and given to the Catholics, they would be dissatisfied. At the same time, he could not allow that because one part of the community was educated at the public expense, and not the other, there could be any cause for dissatisfaction. The Bishop of LONDON said, the consequence of reading ex- tracts from the Scriptures would be, that the children, when they got home, would ask why the whole Scriptures were not read ; and when told that Government would not allow it, they would all grow up enemies to Government. Lord RODEN concluded by proposing, as a means of settling the whole affair satisfactorily, to withdraw the grants from both par- ties, and let each educate their children as they liked.
From these various and weighty arguments, it may be seen how very small a hurt will make an Irishman bellow. Here have been aggregate meetings, and county meetings, and letters, and preach- hags, and speechings, and Orange Lodges, and Hibernian school assemblages, and crusades proclaimed, and petitions a mile and a half long; and the Protestant Church, the Protestant religion, the Protestant tithes (which are more important in Ireland than either, since they support both), all going—going; and now it ap- pears, that the sum of the whole evil felt and apprehended, is the withdrawal of 30,000/.,-21d. per head per annum for the great and glorious two millions and a half! half-a-crown for each of the notable 230,000 who signed the petition that was wheeled into the presence of the King on Wednesday sennight, to show him that, if the Irish Protestants he great in nothing else, they are at any rate great in the article of calf-skin !
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