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Show AN IRISH UNIVERSITY. (From Xew York Times.) , The question of a Catholic university for Ireland has long been a burning one, which neither English party, when in power, quite dares to handle boldly. bold-ly. When it was brought up in the house of commons the other evening, Mr. Balfour declared in effect that the Catholics were entitled to a university univer-sity "with a Catholic atmosphere," which would be as satisfactory to them as Trinity college is to the Protestants. Protest-ants. This is sound sense and fairness. But Mr. Balfour added that these views were "personal" only, and not acceptable accept-able to his colleagues and the house of commons. Xow it really seems that a. Unionist prime minister should be a little ashamed to make, a confession of that sort. The party which fights home rule in Ireland is bound to see to it that the Irish have no substantial grievance under the Union. Mr. Balfour Bal-four admits that in the matter of a Roman Catholic university they have a. definite and substantial grievance. And he proposes to do nothing about it. He will be turned out at the next election anyway. What is he afraid of? Or does he malignantly wish to. leave this vexed question for the Liberals, who will doubtless treat it as pusillanimous-ly pusillanimous-ly as the Unionists have done? |