As a Representative of the National University it is, I fear, incumbent upon me to obtrude myself—though just for a few minutes at most—into the consideration of this matter. It was, I think, on the 18th September last that the President of An Dáil either read to us or circulated a copy of that compact which the late President Arthur Griffith and the present Minister for Home Affairs of the one part, entered into with certain representatives of Southern Unionists of the other part. Now in that document, which I studied very carefully, and I have read more than once in the interval, it is stated that the representation to which the present motion of the President of An Dáil refers as representation for all parties not adequately represented in the Chamber, was to be a representation for the minority party, a representation, that is, for what was formerly known as the Southern Unionists. Many of them, we know, repudiate that description now, and would regard it as offensive to apply it to them, but inasmuch as it is a term used in that minor Treaty it might be more convenient—and I protest my intention is not to be offensive in any sense—to continue to use the term. In that agreement representation was to be secured in some fashion in the Senate for certain bodies the political complexion of which was understood to be describable by the term Southern Unionist. Now amongst the bodies to be consulted for the purpose of securing this minority representation in the Senate, which otherwise could not be secured in An Dáil, a certain number of bodies were set out as to be consulted, and they are set out here again. There was, as I read it, a danger that once the nominees were elected to the Senate, that they might be thought to take their places there by virtue of some professional pre-eminence, and that the political origin of their being specially nominated might be lost sight of as historical fact. You can easily see what the consequences of that might be as regards other professional bodies—I hasten to say, before I develop my point, that I congratulate the President on the mode in which he has obviated, so far, I think, as words can go to obviate, the possibility of any such misunderstanding, and it is merely to put it on record on behalf of the National University of Ireland, that I am now speaking on the matter—there was, I say, reason to fear that when representatives chosen, say, on the recommendation of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland should take their seats in the Senate, that the public would look up to these as being the men of mark in the Medical Profession, selected because they were outstanding men in the Medical Profession, and then it would appear as if medical men, graduates of the National University, for example, occupied some species of inferior status to those other men whom the late President and others desired to do honour to, although our graduates are men who deserve well of their country. I think it therefore incumbent on me, even at the risk of being wearisome and tedious, to impress upon the Dáil this fact that in the present motion of the President it is declared "that it is expedient to consult with representative persons and bodies, including the following." This consultation is not limited to these bodies; I take it there is implied in this an undertaking to consult with other representative bodies as well. Now, the bodies mentioned are the Chambers of Commerce; they, of course, would be able to inform the President of An Dáil as to who in their bodies are men of eminence in business and commercial circles, who by reason of their political predilections would possibly not find favour with the electorate. I take it that the Chambers of Commerce are intended to give light and counsel with regard to commercial and industrial Unionists. Now we come to the Benchers of the Honourable Society of the King's Inns, Dublin. That body, I think—I speak subject to the correction of Deputy Fitzgibbon—along with the Bar Council of Ireland, represents the barristers—the principal branch of the Legal Profession in Ireland—and here again, if members eligible for nomination to the Senate are recommended by this body, it will, of course, again be under the compact with the late President Griffith because they are Southern Unionists, and not because they are the most distinguished lawyers in the country. And then again, the next body to be consulted is the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, and that undoubtedly is the official body associated with the solicitors' profession —the other branch of the Legal Profession in Ireland; and once more it is necessary to bear in mind that when that body recommends candidates for election to the Senate it is because the recommending body regards them as Southern Unionists who require this assistance to bring them into the new Parliament of Ireland. These recommendations are all because of the pact made by President Griffith. Now, I would not have spoken at such length only that I believe it was most necessary to have it impressed upon the Dáil that when the President put into the present motion the words, "including the following," he is divesting the original document embodying the pact of a great-deal of what to us, in the National University, was highly objectionable because, if you bear this in mind, the College of Physicians of Ireland, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, form a conjoint body, for conferring medical degrees, or rather licences to practise. They represent one licencing body; Trinity College, or Dublin University represents another. The National University, which has three medical schools—one an exceptionally large and important medical school in Dublin, another in Cork, and another in Galway— represents a third. Now here is a licencing body, pari passu with the licencing body mentioned in the pact, and I do not intend, and hope I shall not be taken as intending, even in the remotest way to suggest any reflection on the body named here. It is merely to secure equality and to obviate any possible misunderstanding with regard to the result that shall be attained by the President when the recommendations of these bodies come up with the list of their nominees.
