ight, therefore, he said, be
as purely Protestant as could be imagined. The motion was supported by
Messrs. War-burton and Shiel, the latter of whom contended that Queen
Elizabeth's charter did not contemplate exclusively Protestant objects.
But it was rather on the ground of justice than on such grounds, he
said, that this subject ought to be discussed. He remarked:--"There
are seventy scholarships; the scholars have lodging and commons for a
nominal sum, with L10 a-year and L40 a-year in the last three years: the
scholarships being exclusively Protestant. So long," he continued, "as
you keep up Trinity College in its supremacy you will make your measure
of academical education, for all political purposes, an entire failure.
Your provincial academies will be marked with all the characteristics of
mediocrity, which will only render the elevation of Trinity College more
conspicuous by the inferiority with which it will be surrounded. How
stunted and dwarfed the groves of our new academies when compared with
the rich luxuriance of the gardens of Trinity! I had a thousand times
rather you had applied your L18,000 a-year to the establishment of new
fellowships and new professorships in the metropolitan and national
institutions; because if you had done so, Englishmen would have got a
value--a value in peace, a value in contentment, a value in pacificatory
results--for their money. Now your measure, for political purposes--I
say, for political purposes, though I won't deny that the advantages
of education will be distributed to a certain extent--but your measure,
though for political purposes it may partially succeed, yet as a message
of peace it will be a failure." Sir Robert Peel contended that he and
his colleagues had exerted themselves to make equality in Ireland, at
the expense of giving umbrage to the majority of the people in this
country. He appealed to the enlarged grant to Maynooth, and to the way
in which the charitable bequests act had been carried out, as showing
the conciliatory disposition of the government. Yet, after all their
exertions for peace they were doomed to be disappointed. He regretted
Mr. Shiel's speech on account of the use that would be made of it in
this country. It would be said--"See how unavailing all attempts are to
conciliate the Roman Catholics of Ireland. Regardless of the warnings,
the feelings, and fears of their friends, they hoped by proposing
certain measures, that they would make an