III. HIGHER EDUCATION.

C. Ireland.

1. THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN AND TRINITY COLLege.

IRISH higher education before the grant to Maynooth1 closely resembled its English original. There was but one University, and that was open only to members of the Established Church.

In March, 1591-92, Queen Elizabeth granted 'a Charter or Letters Patent 2,' incorporating Trinity College, Dublin, 'unum Collegium Mater Universitatis 3,' the commencement of a University similar to those of Oxford and Cambridge, and nominating the Provost, three Fellows nomine plurium, and three Scholars, and also the Chancellor and Visitors. The Provost and Fellows received power to make statutes for the College, to appoint acts and exercises for degrees, and to elect University Officers". The Crown

1 Vide p. 280.

2 The Dublin University Calendar, 1877, vol. ii. p. 1; The History of the University of Dublin, p. 8, by Rev. J. W. Stubbs, D.D.: Dublin, 1889; The Book of Trinity College: Belfast, 1892; The Constitutional History of the University of Dublin, p. 14, by D. C. Heron (Catholic): Dublin, 1847; Report of the Royal Commission (Archbishop Whately, Chairman) on the University of Dublin and Trinity College, 1853, p. 2. 3 Heron, p. 15; Calendar, ii. p. 1.

'We license the Provost and Fellows of the said College that they may establish amongst themselves whatever well-constituted laws they may perceive in either of our Universities of Cambridge or Oxford, provided that they shall consider them proper and suitable for themselves' (Translation of the Charter, vide Heron, p. 19). The first four Provosts were all Cambridge men (Stubbs, pp. 4, 18, 19, 27), and the influence of Cambridge was naturally great.

5 The distinction between Senior and Junior Fellows was not made until early in the seventeenth century (Stubbs, p. 29).

Heron, p. 15; Calendar, ii. p. I.

T

granted certain confiscated lands in the North for an endowment, and about £2,000 was collected in money1.

No provision was made for admitting any other Colleges, if founded, to a share in the University. In fact, none of the later subsidiary foundations ever became Colleges or attained any importance 2, and no division of aim or interest has arisen between Trinity College and the University 3.

In 1637 Charles I granted a new Charter, resuming for the Crown the exclusive right of making Statutes, and in exercise of this right he issued therewith a new code of Royal Statutes which, with modifications by Royal Letters and Statutes, lasted till the days of modern reform ‘.

The endowments of the College and University, which at first had been very inadequate, gradually increased; professorships were founded, and between 1752 and 1763 £45,000 were granted by Government for building 5.

Catholics in the eighteenth century might neither learn from Catholics at home nor go abroad", yet in Dublin the College Statutes exacted from all students an oath denying the temporal supremacy of the Pope in these dominions, and required attendance at religious services in the College Chapel; and it was further necessary to take the Oath of Supremacy and the declaration against transubstantiation before proceeding to a University degree. Subscription of the Thirty-nine Articles, however, was not required as in England, and in practice Catholic and Nonconformist Students had been from time to time excused from attendance at Chapel ".

10

In 1793 the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1o provided that any persons might graduate in the University without oath Hansard, T. S., ccxiv. 398.

Heron, p. 24.

2

3 Such as occurred at Glasgow (Scotch Universities Commission Report, 1863, p. xiv).

4 Calendar, ii. p. 3.

6 Vide p. 8o.

Stubbs, p. 283; Heron, p. 82.

5

The Book, p. 192. 7 Heron, p. 46.

9 Ibid.; Lecky, History of Ireland in the Eighteenth Century, ii.

280, 514.

10 Irish Act, 33 Geo. III, c. 21.

or declaration save of allegiance and abjuration, if the laws of the University were altered to admit of it. In 1794, accordingly, a Royal Letter made the necessary changes, and consonantly with the spirit of the law the College authorities admitted Dissenters on the same terms with Catholics to all privileges of study and graduation and to sizarships'. But no relaxation was made in the case of Scholars, who had to attend Chapel and take the Communion, or of Fellows, who must all belong to the Established Church, and nearly all take its Orders 2.

The University and College were practically indivisible, and were ruled by the Provost and Senior Fellows. The University was, fortunately for its efficiency, not too independent to admit changes in its Statutes effected by the means of Royal Letters. There had long been a matriculation examination3; the exercises for degrees were a formality, but the examinations were genuine. For graduation in all Faculties except Music, it was and is necessary first to take the B.A. degree. But Classics did not reign supreme, for besides the Faculties of Law, Medicine, and Divinity, in 1776 two Royal Chairs of Modern Languages were founded 5. In 1841 the first School of Engineering in the kingdom was established".

In 1840 a Royal Letter removed the condition of celibacy attaching to the fellowships, which had been continually violated before it was stringently re-enacted in 18117.

This further increased the value of these endowments to Dublin, which has always been a home of learning, and numbered among its Fellows many distinguished men 8.

The great defect of Dublin is that residence is not necessary for the Arts degree. Provided that a man passes an examination each term, he never need reside at all,

! Whately Commission Report, pp. 4, 53; Heron, p. 49.

2 Report, pp. 10, 54.

3 Stubbs, p. 204; Report, p. 64.

5 Ibid. p. 44.

7 The Book, p. 93; Report, p. 5. 8 The Book, p. 123, and passim.

Report, p. 57. 6 Ibid. p. 41.

whether in College or out of it. Many Students do reside, and attendance on the Professors' lectures is necessary for taking a degree in Divinity, Law, Medicine, or Engineering'; but a man may become Bachelor of Arts without ever having spent more than a few days at any one time in Dublin, or setting eyes on his fellow students except in the examination room.

In 1851 the tide of University reforms, which had reached England the year before, brought a Royal Commission under Archbishop Whately to inquire into the State, Discipline, Studies, and Revenues of the University of Dublin and of Trinity College.

They found the College income for 1852 amounted to £35,994 from external, and £26,816 from internal sources 2, while the University fees for degrees had been in 1850 £3,143. There were 1,217 undergraduates on the books; of these only 118 were living in College, and 518 residing in the city and suburbs 5. A public registry of addresses was kept, but the out-college residents were under very little control, and the Commission recommended that they should be required to live in licensed Halls or Lodging Houses.

The desirability of enforcing residence seems not to have been raised, though it was necessary for the only other University in Ireland at that time, and all the other Universities in the kingdom.

The Commission reported in 1853 'that numerous improvements of an important character have been from time to time introduced by the authorities of the College, and that the general state of the University is satisfactory. There is great activity and efficiency in the different departments, and the spirit of improvement has been especially

1 Dublin University Calendar.

2 In 1888 the net college income was returned at £55,987 (P. P., 1889, No. 334), of which £12,960 was received from students.

3 Evidence, pp. 12, 267.

There is accommodation in College for 230 men, but most sets of rooms are for two occupants (Report, p. 56; Calendar, 1898-99, p. 20). Report, p. 63.

5

shown in the changes which have been introduced in the course of education to adapt it to the requirements of the age'.'

4

In 1855 certain alterations were made in accordance with these recommendations with regard to fellowships, professorships, fees, and other minor matters; the number of lay fellows was increased from three to five; forty exhibitions, open without distinction of creed, were founded2; the formal exercises for degrees were abolished, and all the higher degrees, except the M.A., were made tests of merit 3. The constitution itself, however, was not dealt with until 1857. In that year by Letters Patent power was again given to the Provost and Senior Fellows (known as The Board) to make or alter rules, but such rules must be sanctioned by the Senate or Congregation of the University, now for the first time incorporated, and consisting of Doctors and Masters on the books of the University. The Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor was bound to convene this body on the requisition of the Board, and had power to adjourn or dissolve the meeting. The Caput of the Senate consisted of the Chancellor of the University and the Provost of the College or their substitutes, and the Senior Master, who was elected by the Senate, and any one of these three could veto a grace. In the Senate the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor had an absolute veto; no 'grace' for any purpose might be proposed which had not been previously adopted by the Provost and Senior Fellows".

7

In 1867 Mr. Fawcett introduced a Bill to remove all religious disabilities, but they were removed only from certain Chairs. In 1873 all tests were abolished in University and College for all offices and emoluments whatsoever, except for any Professor of, or Lecturer in, Divinity.

1 Report, p. 92.

2 Fourteen open studentships were founded in 1858. 3 The Book, p. 95.

5 The Book, p. 97; Calendar, 1877, ii. p. 9.

6 30 & 31 Vict. c. 9.

7 36 Vict. c. 21, University of Dublin Tests Act.

Calendar, ii. p. 6.