IRELAND
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IRELAND
did it abolish religious tests till 1873. The Queen's
Colleges, three in number, one at Galway, one at Cork,
and one at Belfast, were constituent colleges of the
Queen's University, and were meant by Peel to do for
higher education what Stanley had done for the pri-
mary schools. But the Catholic bishops' demand to
have some adequate provision made for religious
teaching, some voice in the appointment and dismissal
of professors, and separate chairs in history and phil-
osophy, not being acceded to, the Queen's Colleges
were denounced by Dr. MacIIalc as godless colleges,
and condemned by Rome as intrinsically tlangerous to
faith and morals; and at the Synod of Thurles, in ISoO,
it was resolved on the advice of Rome to set up a
Catholic University. The model given was the Uni-
versity of Louvain. A committee was then appointe<l,
subscriptions received both from Ireland and from
abroad, a site was purchased in Stephen's (!reen, Dub-
lin, Dr. Newman was made first rector, profcs.sors and
lecturers were appointed, and in 18.54 work was begun.
But there were difticulties from the first. The na- tion still felt the effects of the famine, the secondary schools were but imperfectly organized and unalile to furnish sufficient students, and Dr. MacHale and Dr Cidlen did not agree. Dr. MacHale complained that the administration was too centralized, that he could get no details of the expenditure, that there were too many Englishmen among the professors. He ob- jected also to Dr. Newman. Though the great Ora- torian loved Ireland, he was an Englishman with English ideas, and wanted Oxford and Cambridge men as his colleagues. MacHale, on the contrary, would have the whole atmosphere of the University Irish, and thus, trained by Irish teachers, Irish stu- dents would go forth to exhibit the highest capabilities of the Irish character. Dr. CuUen did not fully share these views, and generally agreed with Newman. Not always, however, for he objected to ha\e .\<-\\- man ap]iointed an Irish bishop, and he disliked Newman's excessive partiality for professors trainc<l in the English imiversities. This want of harmony was not conducive to enthusiasm or efficiency, and the pecuniary eontribiitions obtained left the various fac- ulties woefully undermanned. Nor could any pro- vision be made for students' residence or for tutorial superintendence. Most fatal of all, the Government refused to give a charter, and students could not be ex- pected to freqvient a imiversity where they could get no degree. Unable to succeed where the elements of failure were so many, Newman resigned in 18.57. In lS(i(i the fiovernment of Earl Russell granted a sup- plemental charter making the Catholic University a const Uuent college of the Queen's University, a sort of fourth Queen's College, but the charter was founrl to be illegal. Nor did Lord Mayo's attempt to settle the university question in 1868 succeed, and thus the Catholic University struggled painfully on.
Nor was Mr. ( Uadstonc's Bill of 1873 satisfying. He proposed to al)olish the Queen's University and the Queen's College, Galway, and to have Dublin Univer- sity separated from Trinity College, but with Trinity College, the Queen's Colleges at Belfast and Cork, Magee College and the Catholic University as constit- uent colleges. From Trinity College £r2,000 a year woidd be taken and given to the Duljlin University, which would have in all an income of £.50,000, for the payment of examiners and professors and the found- ing of fellowships, scholarships, and prizes to be com- peted for by students of all the constituent colleges. There was to be a senate, at first wholly nominated by the Crown and subsequently half and half by the Crown and Senate. The endowment of the Queen's Colleges would remain, though the Catholic Univer- sity would get nothing; nor would there be in any of the colleges any endowment for chairs of history, theology, or philosophy. This was perpetuating the inferior position of the Catholic University, as it was
perpetuating the endowment of the godless colleges,
and it would be almost impossible for the Catholics
ever to have their proper share of representation in
the Senate. Finally, men asked what sort of imi-
versity that was which had no chairs of history or
philo.sophy. The Bill in fact satisfied nobody, and
Mr. Gladstone being defeated resigned office.
It will be convenient here to anticipate. In 1870 the Queen's l^niversity was aliolished and the Royal University took its place, empowered to give degrees to all comers who passed its examinations. The Queen's Colleges were left. In ISS'J t)ie Catholic University passed under Jesuit control, and of the twentv-eight fellowships of £400 a year founded by tlie Royal Uni-
West Doorw-\t of Chu
versify fourteen were given to the Catholic University
staff. With this slender indirect endowment it entered
the lists with the Queen's Colleges and beat them all.
Subsequently there were two University commissions,
one dealing with the Royal University, the other with
Trinity College, but nothing was done. Finally, in
1908, Mr. Birrell passed his Irish Universities Act
leaving Trinity College imtouched. Abolishing the
Royal University, the .Act sets up two new universi-
ties, the Queen's University with the Queen's College
at Belfast, and the National University at Dublin,
with the Queen's Colleges at Cork and Galway and a
new college at Dublin as constituent colleges. In
these colleges there are new governing bodies, largely
Catholic and National, but religiotis services of any
kind are prohibited within the precincts, and t here are
no religious tests. This change has resulted in the
Jesuits severing their connexion with the Catholic
University, the buildings of which have been taken
over by the new Dublin college.
To go back, when Mr. Glailstono was replaced by the Tories, in 1874, a new Irish party had been already formed demanding an Irish Parliament, with full power to deal with purely domestic matters. It was called the Home Rule party, Mr. Butt, a Protestant lawyer of great al)ility, being its chief. At the gen- eral election in 1874, sixty Home Rulers were re- turned. But Mr. Butt accomplished nothing. His own methods of conciliation and argument were not
