NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE struggle about the additional endowment of Maynooth Col- lege, which shakes the House of Commons while we write, grows fiercer as it proceeds, and some even-hope that it involves a Ministerial' crisis." The opposition to the measure resembles the agitation against the educational clauses of the Factory Bill, but with some differences : the present agitation appears to be of a more strictly sectarian character, principally limited to the or- ganized staff of the several. religious denominations, or to other ready-made and easily-nioved bodies; and Ministers show a firmer front. A dSputatien of-religious objectors, headed by Sir Culling Eardley Smith, waited on Sir Robert Peel, with the re- quest that he would postpone the second reading of the bill,— virtually asking him to wait a little while the opposition to his measure should gain strength ! This the Premier declined. The next hope lay in Mr. Ward's Appropriation amendment ; which, as it stood on the Notice-paper, would have come be- fore the second reading, and would in fact, if carried at that stage, have placed the matter on such ' a footing with the forms of the House that the bill Would have been lost The Dissenting interest eipected to make common cause with the High Churchmen, the Orangemen, the Ultra-Tories, and the. Anti-Cithelic parties of every shade. But Mr. Ward prudently disappointed them : he announced on Thursday, the night before the second reading, that it was far from his intention to endanger the bill itself, and that he should therefore postpone his amend- ment to a later stage, where it would not interfere with the safety of the main scheme. The loss of that opportunity the more exas- perated theopponents of the measure ; and its troubled progress is likely to encounter some curious coalitions. In Ireland, the " Protestant " opposition partakes of the more fiery character of the people ; and strange cries resound, of " dis- missal" for Peel, "impeachment," " wrath of Heaven." On the Renian Catholics, the " millions," the measure seems to have had all the expected effect of soothing. At first there was some dis- trust and doubt : Repealers did not know which way to take the boon—whether to repulse or receive it. O'Connell eagerly and frankly accepted the proffered act of conciliation ; overflowed with ,delight at Peel's generosity," shouted " Hurrah, for Peel and Repeal! " and incontinently defied " America on behalf of the Tory Ministers.
