1846.] Sir Robert Peel's Administration. 343 justice ; Crawford and Buncombe strongly opposed it because they objected to any endowment of religion. Even Cobden and Bright took different sides. Mr. Bright opposed the measure on the ground that an institution purely ecclesiastical ought not to be paid for out of the -public taxes, and he denounced the Irish Church Establishment as the root of all that country's evils.* There was more union amongst both Radicals and Whigs on an amendment moved in committee by Ward " That it is the opinion of this House that any provision to be made for the purposes of the present bill ought to be taken from the funds already applicable to ecclesiastical purposes in Ireland." For this there voted 148, against it there were 322. All the stages of the bill were passed, both in the Commons and the Lords, by large majorities. The same fortune attended the Government proposals for the establishment of unsectarian colleges in Ireland. The bill, which was introduced by Graham on the Qth of May, provided for the erection of three colleges at a cost of
- 1 00,000, and their maintenance by an annual grant of
- 1 8,000. The Government provided no theological pro-
fessorships, but these might be established by voluntary efforts by the different churches. The measure met with strenuous opposition from the extreme partizans of Romanism and Protestantism. The second reading was moved on the 2nd of June, the debate being continued over two nights by adjournment. The bill was carried by a majority of 3x1 to 46, and it passed the other stages in both Houses in an equally triumphant manner. The principle of tenant right in Ireland was at last recognized by the Government, although no practical result followed. On the Qth of June Lord Stanley introduced a Tenants' Compensation (Ireland) Bill, which proposed to give compensation to tenants for their expenditure in three
- These opinions were expressed on the second reading of the bill, which was
moved by Peel on the nth of April, the debate being continued for six nights in succession.
