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yLxx \ Mr^%^ y/^-ii^- {MWA^M^\: : - .._ ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Wesektm Sabtlament. Moot)At Was Sigi...
towards repealing the grant . The speech of Mr . Conner was beside the question , and consisted chiefly I string of quotations from Roman Catholic books / Ihether partial or not there was no means of testing ) , + how that the tenets of the Roman Catholic religion ^ p -erybad , that the system of education at Maytii " was antagonistic to the word of God , and a n tional sin / ' and that Roman Catholics were not to T Relieved ' on path . In short , the whole speech was llemical , and the real political bearing of the question totally missed . Nor was the Marquis of Bjqandtoed , -who seconded the motion , more happy in choosing a 8 iinilar set of arguments , considerably diluted / to support those views .
The motion was met by Mr . Anstet , who moved as an amendment , for leave to bring in a bill repealing " all acts for charging the public revenue in aid of ecclesiastical or religious purposes /* Mr . W . Schoiefieio ) seemed to incline towards it , although he talked of supporting an amendment not then moved ; and he drew forth the cheers of the Irish Brigade as he wound up , by stigmatizing the motion as apiece of " political cowardice / ' intended to undermine what Mr . Spooner did not possess the courage manfully to attack .-
¦ Mr . WaipoIiB was the Government spokesman . His speech was ex tremely silky and diplomatic in texture . He approached the subject " yrith caution and forbearance . " Certainly Mr . Anstey had not proposed an amendment which he could support . The question was , whether or not a case had been made out for inquiry ; and that d pended on whether thei grant to Maynooth college had answered the purposes for which it was intended . Leaving this topic , he started off after another— -the history of the grant ; and having pursued that from 1795 to 1844 , he harked back to the topic with which he started , and inquired whether the grant had fulfilled the intentions of Parliament . In order that
the following extract may be understood , it is necessary to say that Mr . Walpole had quoted a passage from the speech of Sir Robert Peel , in which be said , "I say you must break up , in some way or other , that formidable confederacy which exists in that country against British Government and the British connexion . " Having quoted this , Mr . Walpole continued : — - " These three purposes were , I take it , first to obtain a well educated , loyal , and domestic priesthood ; secondly , to provide for the instruction of the priesthood ,-which Roman Catholics were supposed to be too poor to give for themselves , in order that their priesthood might be bred up in , a manner suitable to their holy calling and profession ; and the third reason was to break up by generosity that formidable conspiracy ( Mr . Keogh . — ' Confederacy . ' ' Hoar , hear . ' ) , — well , then , confederacy ( hear , hear ) which Sir R . Peel alleged to have existed in Ireland against the British Government and the British
consti-. Ihese were the objects for which this grant was made and perpetuated . Well , now , I ask you these cmestions , —Has or has not in any of these three instances the grant answered the purposes for which it was given ? and I think they are questions wo are bound to answer for ourselves , before wo determine whether this committee of inquiry bo necessary or not , —I ask myself , first , has or has not the grant provided a well-educated , loyal , and domestic priesthood for the people of Ireland r 1 It may have uono so up to a certain time , but observe that rumour says—for I arn not going to give an opinion on the question ( ironic al cheering from the Opposition ) , —well , then , I say tliero is strong reason to believe that many of the priesthood mucated
in that College of Maynooth are of different orders , who aro sent out to different countries , and who do not rema 1 ln . p " . omostic priesthood in Ireland ( ironical cheering ) j ana rtl ^ m right in that conclusion , I say it is a material ground for you to go on boforo you decide at onco that a ™ " n ! ° i ft ' * or at'a priesthood is to bo applied to givo a pnostn oocl to other countries , and that you aro to spend ¦^ ngiish monoy for such a purpose ( Cheers , and ironical uios ot 'Hear , hour . ' ) Has or lias not tho character wi mo priesthood changed of late years P I suspect tho ™ . 2 ultl V > o , that instead of domestic influence , ¦ moiuor influence has been formed , and that you will find as V 1 O < Kl of lroland > instead of confining thomsolyos , * u ail ° Y ou ffht , to tho purpose of maintaining- and teaching
iwaum l glon » fl . nd thoir «> ligious duties , have in effect stifnt i i ?& ros 8 ivo character ( choora ) , which does cona £ m-T Vi SU " ll' P ° o 1 Cftlled a confederacy—I don't say tho tP ?• * i e ^ no—but still a confederacy—against , I think , u Witish Crown and tho British connexion . ( Cheers , hoa J , Or " choors >) I alludo moro particularly to what wrh ll-i P aco einco Dr < Oullon cnmo ™ to Ireland , and < H » i «* Toar ° )" primac ^ of tho Iiom ^ Catholic church . chat ? tlmt ho ftttcmpted to show tlmt since 18 ^ , 4 tho wero « Cr f tho Irish l ) ri « sthood had changed : they — ,, « f . fo « % n domination ^— " foreign guidance " «> quir / f 1 svate m ; " and ho concluded in favour of immwjV * ast purfc of his speech , by its scorning Conical el ™' ° V 01 % fc " ^ "g " ' ' provoked much
lilco ^ i KWAl 1 0 s ; n 0 BNE , in hia poculiar nnd soldicr-^ iniHt » . J n ^ d ° a da 8 hin 81 « ttack on the mover and tho hustino . " » Tnotion was ftl 1 attempt to get up " a ' WftttoiL 0 ^ fr 01 " 8 ) ' i ( i was pandering to " bnso Romm , « tho ol Hoct Wft 8 tho destruction of tho "in-ca . th . olic religion . But citations from tho
speeches of Ministers when they were riot Ministers , formed the pith of his speech . Thus he quoted Mr ., now Sir John Pakingtbn , to show that in 1844 he gave a " cordial and willing support" to the Endowment Act ; and then addressing Ministers , he said , but " probably the opinions of the Colonial Secretary on theological matters had undergone the same change as those on saccharine subjects . " ( Laughter . ) His next ; lunge was a home-thrust"A speech had also been made by tho First Commissioner of "Woods and Forests ( Lord J . Manners ) , who at that period was not a Minister , and whose opinion was therefore pronounced at a time
' When he was free as nature first made man , When wild in woods the noble savage ran . ' ( Loud laughter . ) To this speech , from which he was about to make a long quotation , he would call the attention not only of this House , but of the electors of Colchester . ( Hear , hear . ) The noble lord said :- — "' The cry is raised , ' The Church is in danger . ' I admit that it is ; but not from this grant to Mavnooth , nor from the Vatican , nor the Jesuits , that the Irish Church is in peril ; it is from herself ; from her own self-willed and disobedient laity that she is in danger , —they who would have her isolate herself frona the rest of Catholic Christendom , fraternize with the Puritan , and denounce priestcraft with the Presbyterian ! I admit the Church to be in danger .
I am irresistibly reminded of the dying words of the martyred Laud on the scaffold . They may who list trace all the glory , renown , and magnificence of the old English monarchy to the Dutch conquest of 1688 , and see in the penal code and Protestant ascendancy , the safeguards of the empire , but , for myself , I claim a liberty to mount higher , and to act in 1845 as though William III . had died Stadtholder of Holland / ( Loud laughter . ) How was the noble lord acting in 1852 ? Was he going to act now ' as- though William III . had died Stadtholder of Holland ? ' ( Laughter . ) He would make the same quotation as the noble lord had then made from one of his favourite poets—very pretty poetry indeed ( laughter)— / ' 4
' The priests , those gentle priests and good ; Their fathers loved to hear , Sole type below , midst work and woe , Of the God whom they revere . ' " Acknowledge frankly , and at once , that power which you admit to be so great , and which , hitherto , with a fatal obstinacy , you pretended to ignore . Accredit a Minister tolthe Vatican ; receive a Nuncio at St . James ' s . .. . . With every feeling of confidence that as a Churchman I am not acting disloyally towards the Church , in sanctioning this measure , and , as a statesman , that I am promoting the best interests of my country , I give my vote for the permanent endowment of the College of Maynooth . "
This was not all . Mr . Disraeli came in for his share . He was cited in opposition to the bill—in a passage extracted from one of his bitterest anti-Peel speeches in 1845 . In another extract read , spoken a year earlier , the condition of Ireland was described in the most vivid way . . " The right hon . gentleman said , — " . ' The present condition of Ireland was to be traced , not to Protestantism , but to Puritanism . Let them consider Ireland as they would any other country similarly situated ,
in their closets ; then they would see a teeming population , which , with reference to the cultivated soil , was densor to tho square milo than China . .... That dense population , in extreme distress , inhabited an island whero there was an established church which was not thoir church ; and a territorial aristocracy , tho richest of whom lived in distant capitals . Thus they had a starving population , an absentee aristocracy , and an alien church , and tho weakest executive in tho world ! That was the Irish question ! .... Tho moment they had a strong oxecutivo , a just administration , and ecclesiastical equality , they would have order in Ireland . '"
Here Mr . Walpolo left the House in search of Mansard—a movement out of which Mr . Osborne did not fail to make a point—and when the book arrived , ho gallantly offered to find the place . The remainder of his speech was in illustration of tho inconsistency of supporting Roman Catholicism in our colonies , and refusing to support it at home , in tolerating tho religion of Bramah , and denouncing tho faith of Home . When Mr . Osborne sat down , tho Cuanoeixor of tho Exchequer rose and said , that tho above extract was not in tho speech referred to . " Since ho had received tho book , ho hnd road tho speech , and his hori . and learned friend ( tho Attorney-General ) had done tho same , nnd there was not one single syllable of the lust passage whioh tho hon . member had quoted . ( Much choering and laughter . )"
" Mr . B . OsnouNK . —Tho right hon . gentleman was getting off in bin usual quibbling way . ( ' Ohl' and < Ordor . ) Well , then , in his usunl ingenious way . Tho last passage which ho had quoted was spoken by tho right hon . gontlomnn in a speech delivered on tho 10 th of February , 1844 . ( ' Oh I' and cheers . ) Tho right hon . gontloman had certainly used tho language ho had mut , and ho hoport ho was not going to oat hia words . ( ' Oh ! ' and cheers . ) Mr . Disuabu then rqdo off on tho interrogatory , Well , what has the speech of ' 41 to do with the speech of ' 45 ?
Mr . BumEsroEi ) Hope nnd Mr . Newpiscjatb followed . Mr . Monseil charged tho Homo Secretary with ratifying tho declaration of " War to tho knife , " made by Mr . Spoonor , Ho should noli oppose tho
inquiry , because he believed " the college was honestly and fairly conducted /' " Let the inquiry be a fair one , and he would be satisfied . In that opinion he was confirmed by the ^ Catholic Archbishop of Armagh , who said , ' My opinion is , that it would' not bo wise to oppose Mr . Spooner ' s motion ; that college can defy all its enemies . Its proceedings are conducted in the most open manner—there is no secrecy , no occult practices . The lectures are given in public , and the books used are well known to every bookseller . '" Mr . Gv H . Mooee followed on the same side . The next speaker was one of more weight and influence—Mr . Gladstone . He said , that unless it could be shown by substantial proofs that the endowment had failed , then both prudence and justice in their highest form demanded the maintenance of the endowment .
It appeared to him that failure could not be shown . The withdrawal of the endowment would not be a small matter ; its importance was not to be measured by its amount ; and it was , if not a vital , a great and material circumstance in the whole of the relations between England and Ireland . And he menaced the Parliament who withdrew it , with the gigantic task of entering " on 'Ae whole subject of the reconstruction of the ecclesiastical arrangements of Ireland . " ( General cries of' Hear . ' )
" He was not speaking of what was right or wrong , or what was to be desired or deprecated . For his own part he deprecated the serious changes which such a course would precipitate ; but he was speaking of the necessary consequences of it . Now , he must say , that it appeared to him that no serious case had been made out proving the failure of this endowment . The cycle of seven years had not yet been completed since the present endowed institution of Maynooth . had been organized , and he believed he was correct in saying , that not one single student who had entered the college since the enlarged endowment , had yet left it after the regular course of theological education . Now , he was sure that no reasonable man could expect that that endowment was to operate by magic on the sentiments and habits of a whole generation and an entire people . " ( Hear , hear . )
He severely criticised the tone of the debate ; and he applauded the determination expressed by Mr . Monsell not to resist Inquiry . Turning from the minor to the major charge in Mr . Spooner ' s speech , namely , that the Roman Catholic religion was taught at Maynooth , Mr , Gladstone met it by describing the limitations to which an inquiry of such moment ought to be subjected * First , it should be " under immediate superintendence and responsibility of the executive Government ; " and should " not be intrusted to any Member of Parliament whose mind was pledged to a foregone conclusion . " The second limitation was that it " should not be an
inquiry into the doctrine , discipline and exercise of the Roman Catholic clergy . " From that they were pre - cluded . The spirit of our whole legislation regarding-Maynooth settled that point . In the visitorial power conferred , special visitors might inquire into the condition of the college generally , and report thereon ; but all matters relating to doctrine , discipline and exercise , were to bo referred to tho Catholic visitors exclusively ; and Parliament required no report from them . " Parliament had approached this subject in a statesmanlike spirit . It proceeded on the belief that tho Roman Catholic Church , whatever it was , was a system well known
to history—a system whoso monts or dements had boon tested by a sufliciently long experience , so that they could say ' Ayo' or ' No' on a question whether they would have relations with it or not . Proceeding in that spirit , Parliament did not condescend to accompany this boon with conditions that would havo made it insufferably degrading and painful to tho receivers ; but they secured from the assaults of theological rivalry tho doctrines and tho feolings of tho persons who held those doctrines , for whoso benefit this endowment was intended , and in so doing they loft to tho present Parliament a clear pattern and rule which should direct their course . "
Mr . Guattan nnd Sir R . Inglis succeeded each other—the latter , however , deprecating inquiry at that period of tho session . After a fow words from Mr . Hume , Lord Palmeijston threw 1 » b inilndnce into tl » o ncalo of tho Opposition . Ho thought they were entering on a dangerous course . Listening to the speech of Mr . Spoonor , ho could imagine himself back in tlio time when tho Catholic question was debated ; for they wore not discussing tho endowment of Maynooth , but tho doctrines of tho Catholic religion . It wns stated that ono of tho great evils existing in Ireland was tho prevalence of ultra-montano and foreign influence , nnd how would that bo remedied by withdrawing the ' grunt to Maynooth—u proceeding which would compel tho education of Irish priests in foreign and ultra-montano countries .
"This motion arises from tho fooling out of doors whioh has boon unfortunately raised among tho Protestant portion of tho pooplo of this country at what I shall not shrink from characterising as tho aggrossivo and violent proceedings of tho Church of Itomo . ( Choorn . ) I don ' t wonder that those proceodings should hayo produced a doop impression of rosontmont—nay , of indignation , on tho part of tho Protestant portion of tho community ; but don't —because tho Church of Homo has dono that of whioh tho nooplo of England havo a just right to complain—don't , I
Ylxx \ Mr^%^ Y/^-Ii^- {Mwa^M^\: : - .._ ...
yLxx \ Mr ^ % ^ y /^ -ii ^ - { MWA ^ M ^\ : - .. _ 455
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 15, 1852, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15051852/page/3/
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