During the debate on the Irish Estimates in the House
of Commons on Friday. June 23rd, Mr. Balfour dealt with the question of Irish University education, and with what he regarded as the three causes that made the settlement of the matter difficult. The first was the failure of large portions of the community to realise how essential the highest educa- tion was to the true development of any community. Next came the extreme Protestant objection, which was largely due to ignorance of what was already being done in Ireland in the way of grants to Roman Catholic teaching. The third difficulty was the misapprehension as to the form of University to be set up. The University was, of course, not to be without chairs of philosophy or history, but these were to be the outcome of private endowment. Mr. Bal- four ended by a statement of his position on the whole subject. He reminded the House that before the grant af Catholic emancipation members of the same Ministry expressed opposite views on that question. It was, in fact, in accordance with our best political traditions that certain questions should be left open. Until, said Mr. Balfour, a change had taken place in public opinion, it would be im- possible to make the establishment of a Roman Catholic University in Ireland a Government question. He would, however, himself endeavour to remove one by one the diffi- culties in the way arising from prejudice and ignorance. Though we must as Unionists own to a sense of profound disappointment at finally realising (as we do from Mr. Balfours speech) that this great opportunity for just Unionist action is to be missed, we feel bound to accept Mr. Balfour's decision, that the subject is not ripe.
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