in Ireland,
and founded upon the same principles as the metropolitan colleges of
London and Edinburgh. Cork was proposed as the site of the college for
the south; Galway, or Limerick, for the west; and Deny, or Belfast, for
the north of Ireland. He could not pledge himself for the exact amount
of the expense which would be necessary to carry this proposal into
execution; but he conceived that L30,000 would be wanted for the
erection of each college; and he would therefore mention L100,000 as a
sum amply sufficient for that purpose. He further recommended the sum
of L6000 for each of the colleges, to meet the annual expenses of the
officers of these institutions, and of the prizes to be established for
the encouragement of learning. Sir James Graham then gave a sketch of
the different officers whom he would establish in these institutions. In
each college there was to be a principal and ten or twelve professors;
and at Belfast and Cork there would be a medical school attached to each
college. The professors were to be nominated by the crown; and the crown
was to possess the power of removing them for good cause. There were no
professorships of divinity to be established; but religion was not to
be neglected; on the contrary, every facility would be given for the
voluntary endowment of theological professorships; but the attendance at
these lectures would not be compulsory, for the fundamental principle
of the measure would be the avoidance of all interference, positive or
negative, in all matters affecting the conscience. The right honourable
baronet went on to state that there was already an academical
institution at Belfast for the Presbyterians of the north of Ireland,
which was supported by a parliamentary grant, at the cost of L2100 per
annum; and government proposed to continue this grant. There was another
subject, he said, with which, although a difficult one, he was prepared
to grapple. The bill only founded colleges in Ireland: the question
was:--"Should these three colleges be incorporated into one great
central university, or should parliament invest each of them with the
power of granting degrees in the arts, sciences, and medicine?" He
proposed that the bill should afford her majesty means to establish a
new university in Dublin for this purpose--Trinity College being founded
on Protestant principles, and therefore excluding Roman Catholics or
dissenters from all privileges--or to incorporate into the existin