Maynooth College Act 1845 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Citation | 8 & 9 Vict. c. 25 |
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| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2013 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Maynooth College Act 1845 was a law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This Act was about giving more money to St Patrick's College, Maynooth, a school in Ireland for training Catholic priests.
Contents
Why the Act Was Needed
Maynooth College's Beginnings
St Patrick's College, Maynooth was first set up in 1795. It was a seminary, which is a special school for training priests. The British government hoped that by supporting this college, Irish Catholics would feel more positive about British rule.
Asking for More Money
By 1842, the leaders of the Catholic Church in Ireland asked for more money for the college. They felt the college needed better support. Matthew Flanagan, who worked for the college, spoke to Edward Eliot, a key government official in Ireland. Flanagan explained why the college needed more funds.
Eliot then asked the government to look into the college's needs. The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, thought it would be hard to set up a fair investigation. He decided to wait for a better time to discuss the issue.
Dealing with Irish Unrest
In 1843, the issue came up again. This was because Daniel O'Connell was leading a big movement. He wanted to cancel the Union between Great Britain and Ireland. This Union had joined the two countries.
At this time, many people in Britain were against Catholics. So, it was not clear if they would support giving more money to a Catholic college. Lord Stanley, another important politician, suggested a committee. He thought it would help people get used to the idea of supporting Maynooth.
Government Discussions
Peel's Concerns About Ireland
On February 11, 1844, Prime Minister Peel told his government team that he was very worried about Ireland. He believed they needed to make changes soon. Peel felt that if they waited too long, they would be forced to make changes later.
He also thought that keeping law and order in Ireland needed the help of Catholics. Peel believed the government should make many changes to improve relations. The only things he would not change were the main Protestant church in Ireland and the Union itself.
Deciding on a Plan
Peel suggested that the government should look into the college's education standards. He also supported giving the college more money. The government leaders discussed this idea, but they disagreed among themselves. So, Peel put off making a final decision.
Later, Peel argued that now was a good time to make changes. This was because Daniel O'Connell's movement was weaker. Peel warned that such a good chance to solve problems in Ireland might not come again. Sir James Graham, another government minister, also supported increasing the grant. By March 1845, Graham had prepared a Bill, which is a proposed law.
What the Act Did
On April 3, Prime Minister Peel gave a speech in Parliament. He spoke in favor of the new Bill.
The Bill made some important changes:
- The college's yearly payment went up from £9,000 to £26,000.
- It also gave a one-time payment of £30,000 for new buildings.
- A government group, the Board of Works, became responsible for fixing and taking care of the college buildings.
- The Bill also introduced yearly visits to check on the college.
The Big Debate
Arguments For and Against
On April 11, a six-day debate began in Parliament about the Bill. Many different groups had strong opinions:
- Some Conservatives, the Whigs (another political party), and Irish politicians supported the Bill.
- Other Conservatives, who were very Protestant, and some Radicals spoke against it.
John Bright's Criticism
On April 16, John Bright, a Radical Member of Parliament, strongly criticized the Bill. He said:
Does Irish discontent arise because the priests of Maynooth are now insufficiently clad or fed? I have always thought that it arose because one-third of the people were paupers. I can easily see how, by the granting of this sum, you might hear far less in future times of the sufferings and wrongs of the people of Ireland than you have heard heretofore. For you find that one large means of influence possessed by those who have agitated for the redress of Irish wrongs is the support which the Irish Catholic clergy have given to the various associations for carrying on political agitation. And the object of this Bill is to tame down these agitators—it is a sop given to the priests. It is hush-money, given that they may not proclaim to the whole country, to Europe and to the world, the sufferings of the population to whom they administer the rites and the consolations of religion.
Bright believed that the real problem in Ireland was poverty. He also thought the main Protestant Church in Ireland was causing much of the unhappiness. He argued that the government's goal was to stop Catholic priests from supporting protests. He called the money "hush-money." He felt it was meant to make the priests quiet about the problems of the Irish people.
The Act Passes
After the long debate, the Bill passed by a large number of votes. However, some politicians were very unhappy. Three Conservative members of the government resigned because they disagreed with the Bill. These included William Ewart Gladstone, who was a very important politician.
Historians say that this Bill caused big problems for the Conservative Party. It weakened the strong link between the Church and the government that the party had built. Even though many Conservatives voted against it, most Liberal politicians voted for the Bill. This gave it enough support to pass.
There was also a lot of public anger against the Bill. Many people in Britain were against it. They held meetings and sent petitions (formal requests) to Parliament to stop the Bill. One meeting, called the anti-Maynooth Conference, was held to fight the Bill. One person at the time said that the whole country was full of strong feelings against it.
