GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 10, 20 August 1897, Page 11

GENERAL.

The Irish University Question : Important Work by the Archbishop Of Dublin. — His Grace the Archbishop of D iblin has just edited an important work on the Irish University question a-id the Catholic claims, which ought to be in the hands of every person who wi-he-» to underst md the Catholic case in all its bearings, i'he volume, which has recently been brought out by Brown and Nolan, contains a historical outline of the question, followed by selections fro-n the various pronouncements in the matter in speech and print by the Archbishop of Dublin, added to which are other important statements by the Irish episcopal body, and, by responsible British statesmen and other public men. In his introduction to the baok his Grace refers to Mr. lialfour's la<t reference to the University question and the official view of the question therein embodied. '■Here we have." writes his Grace, "an o'fi ial declaration of a de-ire to settle the Irish University question on the basi- of equality — the fir-t such declaration that in this section of our Irish education queMi jn has jet been made by a, re -ponsible Minister of the Crown speaking in Parliament in his otiiei.il capacity. I feel bound to cxpnss my opinion that these words of Mr. Baliour have placed "ur Univt r&ity question upon an entirely new footing." Referring 1 to Mr. ISalfourV expre-«ion of a do-ire that some definite information should be in the hands- of the Government as to the claims that wo ild be put forward as a matter of Catholic principle as to the constitution of the governing body of the University, his Gr ice says :—": — " A% an individual bishop lam not, of course, in a position either in this or in any other matter, to^peak for anyone but myself. But I take no very serous responsibility upon myself in saying that I assume, as a matter of course, that the Irish bishops — when definitely made aware of what is really wanted — will gladly give every help in their power towards the realisation of the statesmanlike policy enunciated in Mr. Balfour's speech, and that to this end they will be prepared to take whatever steps maybe considered most advisable with a view to placing in the hands of the Government or of any member of it the fullest information that may bj sought for and that it may be in their competence to give." His Grace also pays a tribute to the pronouncements of Mr. Mo 'ley and Mr. Leeky in the debate on the subject. In his. historical outline his Grace traces the history of the whole question and the various schemes put forward, as well as the abortive attempts made to settle it. He shows how British statesmen have always proceeded on wrong lines in attempting to deal with the wants of the majority

'it the hi-h people in the matter of ufil\Vr-ky e iucition, anl he Vj'y cle'uly demons; r it s the failure of the Q ieen'- Co' legu in the l.i-t phase of v- ci.i-<tenee. The tables whiuh are given at the end of the hook, and which contrast the Micoe— es in the Royal Univer-ity of examinations or the st idenN of the (^'leen's Col eges with those of the unendowed Cuhoiio college-*, odn'iit .it a ijanoe the utter failure of the Queen's Colleges to supply i ln ne <1- of the Catholic youth of the country. In the var.ou- speeches and writing which hisOiaje h.i- cire^ully eoi lccied and edited, v ill be found a complete armoury for tho-e who alvoi ite the C.ithohc claim-, a- well ,i> a lompiehen-ive di-uu— ion ot every point which arises m connection with the question. There is no ph.i-e of the argument whi -h In- Gi ace ha- 1.0 KituJied in wne iorui or ano lvr, and he his only touched tho qtie-'ion t > ll.mnin it • it This work is therefore a valuible and permanent record, ami ;m un xhaustiblo supply of ammunition for the C.itliouc advocite, and ought to be widely real and studied. Two p nuts are emphasised m a'l that is written and said by his Grace — titst. that the Catholic- differ v der great injustice as regard- university education , second, that all they demand is equality of treatment with their Protest nit brethren. There i- more, than one way, as his Gra c has many time* shown, by "whuh this equality may be secured, an 1 if the Government mean to act in the spirit of their pledge- they will find every disposition to assi-t them in solving the problem by every method so long as the one essential condition of equality of treatment to which Mr Balfour has now committed himself is fulfilled. Where was Father Mathew Born ?— There appears to have been sou c doubt as to the birth-place ot the great apostle of temperance the Rev. Theobald Matiiew. Was he born in the County of Kilkenny or the County of Tijiperary ? Mr. John Lynch, of Cahir , in the latter county, writes to the Clonmcl X<iti<mnli.\t strongly protesting against the statement given in a Fourth Reader which has just been introduced in the Irish Nationalist schools that Father Mathew was born at Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Now. if the Fourth Reader is wrong we fear that it only repeats the error of certain other Headers and biographies. Mr. Lynch, who as a child attended some of the good priest's meetings, tells where the great apostle of temperance fir-t saw the light, and from his letter we learn how the rni&take arose. Father Mathew was certainly born at Thomastown, but it was Thomastown Castle in the County Tijiperary. The castle is a find mansion in a splendid demesne of over two thousand acres, about three miles from Golden and five from Cashel,

situated in the fertile plain known as the Golden Vale. Near this place his father, James Mathew, had a large distillery, which the son effectually helped to destroy. In "(it) the castle was occupied by Count de Jarnac, who afterwards was appointed the French Ambassador in London, and by the Honourable Colonel of the Guards, who was a relative of the Count. Mr. Lynch and a number of friends went to visit it about that time, and they found that the hospitality of which Sheridan gives so interesting an account in his life of Dean Swift was duly observed there. Colonel Foly took them all up to the bedroom in which Father Mathew was born, but confessed that he did not ke3p up the traJition of Father Mathew's total abstinence principles.