CONFIDENCE WELL PLACED

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 23, 2 October 1885, Page 13

CONFIDENCE WELL PLACED

Even the English papers (says the Nation) admit that the discussion in the House of Commons on the University question forebodes an early settlement of that matter on lines satisfactory to the Irish party. Says the Standard, the leading organ of the Government : •' It was a memorable event in the history of the Nationalist movement when the bishops placed the cause of denominational education in tbe hands of tbe Parliamentary party. Last night's proceedings will enable Mr. Parnell to report that they did not repose :onfidence in him in vain. Conciliation is the watchword of Lord Carnarvon, and in no department of policy is concession so simple a thing as in tbe matter of University education. There are no vested interests of any importance to protest against spoliation. Nor is there any awkward body of political sentiment to block the way. Religious education is an old article of the Conservative faith ; and, as everyone know?, to rule Ireland according to Irish ideas is an accepted Liberal principle. The road thus being open to change, it only remains to know that the existing state of things is not a success. Unhappily, the material for such demonstration is at hand. . . . Ouce it was possible to obtain degrees without residence at any one of the three State-endowed institutions, the principal inducement to Catholic parents to send their sons to the Queen's Colleges disappeared ; but they still have one advantage over their Catholic rivals. They receive a yearly subvention from the State, or, rather, they are almost wholly maintained at the State expense. The staff of teachers and the apparatus for teaching are, of course, better than in the voluntary seminaries, and there are scholarship'? from State funds to boot. This being said, no farther reason need be assigned for the objection made last night from the Hume Rule benches to the 'Vote of twelve thousand six hundred and twenty-eight pounds for the Queen's Colleges, Ireland.' Why spend money ou secular institutions which the Church denounces and the people dislike? Why not rather grant a subvention to the Catholic University, where, under ecclesiastical auspices, the children of good Catholics may receive the sort of education of which alone their consciences approve? Colonel Colthurst suggested that six thousand pounds might do as ab- ginning. Sir Michael Hicks- Beach, in explaining wnv he could not accede to the request held out hopes which go f,ir beyond the scope of this modest suggestion. Next session, if the Ministry is a Ministry still, they will make a proposal. Meanwhile Sir M. H. Beach will only say that, in his opinion, it was not light or possibV, in these daya of irreligion, that the State shoul t endeavour to discourage religious education. The bishops will know what moauing to put on these words. Mr. Treveljan has told them that he was in favour of giving Ireland absolute control over its own education. The Conservative leader makes an offer nearly as good. It will be a question of settling which pirty is to have the granting of tbe gift." Truly the bishops made no mistake when they entrusted th c management of the Irish education question in all its branches t Mr. I',irnell and the Irish party.