advanced of the Protestant and Roman Catholic children should, at certain times during school hours, read portions of the Holy Scriptures together, and in the same classes, but out of their respective versions, subject to proper regulations, and in the presence of their respective Protestant and Roman Catholic teachers; suggesting, at the same time, that opportunities might be afforded to the teachers of each persuasion to explain to the children separately the portions so read.

"Dr Murray answered, that serious difficulties would exist in the way of such an arrangement; and in lieu of it he proposed, that the Holy Scriptures should be used only when the Roman Catholic children should be taken apart for the purpose of receiving religious instruction, and he said, that there could be no possible objection to the Roman Catholic children then reading out of the sacred volume itself, the gospels and epistles of the week he added, that no objection would be made to a harmony of the gospels being used in the general education which the children should receive in common, nor to a volume containing extracts from the Psalms, Proverbs, and book of Ecclesiasticus, nor to a volume containing the history of the creationof the deluge of the patriarchs-of Joseph-and of the deliverance of the Israelites, extracted from the Old Testament; and that he was satisfied no difficulties in arranging the details of such works would arise on the part of the Roman Catholic clergy.

"The Commissioners then stated, that they considered it of the utmost moment that no books or catechisms should be admitted, either in the course of the literary or religious instruction, containing matter calculated to excite contempt, hatred, or any uncharitable feeling in any class towards per

"7th January 1825. "The Commissioners having had an interview this day with the most reverend Drs Curtis, Murray, Kelly, and Laffan, the four archbishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, the minute of the 16th of December last was read; and it was explained, that the passage which related to the separate religious instruction of Roman Catholics meant, that the proper Roman Catholic pastors should have the right of being present on these occasions, and giving such religious instruction as they should think proper, and that what was said of masters applied also to mistresses. The archbishops who were not present on the 16th, expressed a wish to consider the matter until to-morrow."

be adopted than that which we proceed to recommend. It is not possible for us, in the present Report, to define every part of its details; it will, we trust, be sufficient to point out the leading principles on which the system should rest.

We propose that public schools of general instruction shall be established, one at least in each benefice, in which literary instruction shall be communicated to children of all religious persuasions; that two teachers, to be appointed by the general superintending authority, (the establishment of which we shall subsequently recommend,) shall be employed in each school, where the extent of attendance shall be sufficient to justify the expense; that they shall each of them be laymen, and that one of them shall be a Roman Catholic, where any considerable number of Roman Catholics are in attendance on the school; and that a Presbyterian teacher shall be provided in those schools, where the number of children belonging to that communion shall render such appointment necessary or expedient; that on two days in the week the school shall break up at an early hour, and the remainder of the day be devoted to the separate religious instruction of the Protestants; the clergyman of the Established Church attending for the purposes at once of superintendence and assistance, and the Presbyterian minister likewise, if he shall so think fit, for the children of his communion. That on two other days of the week the school-rooms of general instruction shall in like manner be set apart for the Roman Catholic children; on which occasions, under the care of a Roman Catholic lay teacher, approved of as mentioned in the minute which we have given, they shall read the epistles and gospels of the week, as therein mentioned, and receive

such other religious instruction as their pastors (who may attend, if they think fit) shall direct. It may be right to notice, that in the Roman Catholic church there are epistles and gospels appointed, not for Sundays only, but for almost every day in the year, and they comprise altogether a large portion of the Old and New Testament.

If the attendance on a school should be so limited as to render both a master and usher unnecessary, the master might be permitted to take charge of the school of general instruction, and be also the religious teacher to the children of the same persuasion as himself. In such a case, however, a person of a different religion, duly qualified and properly remunerated, might attend at those periods in the week when the school is set apart for the religious instruction of children of a different persuasion from the master, and perform, under proper superintendence, the duty of religious teacher to those of his own communion; and it might be possible for the individual appointed to this duty to take charge of the religious instruction in more schools than one in a parish or district. We suggest this arrangement, however, as one which is possible rather than desirable; and express our opinion, that the establishment of parochial schools, sufficiently large to occupy a master and usher, is much the most eligible course.

We think it further necessary, that means should be provided for supplying Testaments, according to the authorized version, for the Protestant children. With respect to the Roman Catholic children, an edition of the New Testament for their use has been submitted to us by the Roman Catholic prelates. The text of this edition is the Douay version; almost all the notes, however, originally annex

ed to that version have been omitted. We find, in fact, that there are only sixty-three notes altogether to the four gospels; and these, with the exception of an inconsiderable number, have no peculiar reference to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church, as distinguished from those of the Protestant churches; and such as have this peculiar reference are expressed in a manner which ought not, we think, to be offensive to any description of persons. The summaries prefixed to the different chapters are in like manner, as it appears to us, unobjectionable. To this edition is also annexed a table of the epistles and gospels throughout the year, specifying the portions of the Scriptures appointed to be read for those purposes by the Roman Catholic church.

Deeply impressed with the importance and necessity of introducing the Scriptures into all institutions for the education of the people, as a fundamental part of the instruction, we recommend that copies of this edition of the Testament, omitting the address thereto prefixed; but retaining the notes, should be furnished for the religious instruction of the Roman Catholic children, in every school established upon the system proposed. It will be for the Roman Catholic clergy to supply such other books for the purpose of religious instruction as they may desire. We would suggest, however, that many forms of catechisms are now in use

amongst the Roman Catholics in the different districts of Ireland, and that it would be expedient that some one or two should be selected or compiled for general use.

It will be necessary also to provide* a volume compiled from the four gospels; in the manner adverted to in our conference with the Roman Catholic archbishops. Such a book, together with the Book of Proverbs, and the work containing the history of the creation, the deluge, and other important events, extracted from the Pentateuch, may be profitably used in the schools during the period of united and general instruction. We by no means intend such works as substitutes for the Holy Scriptures, although we propose that the reading of the Scriptures themselves should be reserved for the time of separate religious instruction.

The means by which a system of general instruction can be properly enforced and administered are hardly of less importance than the system itself. That object has not hitherto been accomplished by any one of the institutions which have been supported by the public funds in Ireland.

The members of the Incorporated Society, the Association for discountenancing Vice, and the Society for the Education of the Poor, all distribute the money granted to them under rules laid down by themselves, the execution of which, it does not appear to us, they have adequate

means of enforcing. The latter society, by the employment of inspectors, have done more towards the accomplishment of this object than the others. Their schools, however, as we have already observed, are often in connexion with other societies, which establish rules incompatible with a strict compliance with their own; and practical evasions of their rules are daily occurring. Of the talents, industry, and integrity of the gentlemen who compose, the acting committee of the Kildare-street Society, we entertain the highest opinion; but we think they have not the power to effect all the objects which they are desirous of accomplishing. We are of opinion, that any society consisting of a large and fluctuating body of subscribers, who are bound by no other rules than those which they impose upon themselves, cannot permanently be the most proper instrument for directing and controlling a system of general education, maintained principally by the public money, in a country which unfortunately abounds in distrust and jealousy on account of religious opinions.

For the foundation and management of such schools of general instruction as we recommend, we think that a distinct Board should be appointed by Government, of persons responsible for the execution of the duty committed to their charge; and who should be invested with sufficient authority to control the application and expenditure of the public money appropriated to the purposes of general education. The Board should, we think, appoint inspectors, who should be enabled to examine upon oath. The schoolmasters, also, we think, should be sworn to conform to the rules laid down by the Board for their guidance. It will be necessary for this Board to have the entire

control of all money to be applied to the maintenance of the schools under their care, from whatever sources it may be derived;-to have a legal right to the school-house, either by a permanent grant, in the case of a parochial school, or by possession being transferred to them, for a period not less than a year, in the case of a school belonging to a private patron receiving aid from the Board. They should have the sole power also of appointing and dismissing all masters and assistants, and of admitting or rejecting all books or papers which may be read in their schools.

The establishment of such an authority, for the purposes we have mentioned, renders it necessary to consider what course should be adopted with respect to the societies now supported or assisted by public grant.

The first which presents itself to our notice is the Incorporated Society. It has been our duty to give so detailed an account of the schools under its direction, that little more can be now necessary than to state our conviction, that no care or anxiety, however great, on the part of the many benevolent and distinguished persons concerned in its management, can ever successfully counteract the defects inherent both in its plans and constitution; and we are therefore obliged to suggest the expediency of gradually withdrawing the public aid from that Society, and of leaving it to the management of its own funds, which we conceive considerably exceed L.7000 per annum.

We think that these schools are now to be judged of, not as institutions for conversion, but rather as places of education; and as such we are clearly of opinion that, under all the circumstances which it has been our duty to detail, they ought no longer to derive aid from the public

revenue. The course which we think should be pursued, with respect to the reduction of these schools, is, first, that all children who are fit to be apprenticed should be disposed of with as little delay as may be; and, secondly, that there should be no new admissions of children until the total number be so far reduced that the establishment can be maintained by its own private funds. It will then be for the Society to judge in what manner they can most usefully apply the large revenues which have been intrusted to them by the donations or bequests of charitable individuals, and to decide whether it be still expedient to maintain boarding-schools at so large an expense, and, as we think, to so little purpose. They have already acted upon the principle of establishing day-schools; and if hereafter they should determine to extend their application of that principle, the superintendence and management of the schools maintained by them might readily be brought under the powers of the Board which we have recommended to be established. A more desirable course, and, perhaps, still more conducive to the interests of the Established Church, would, in our judgement, be an application of their funds to the assistance of the Association for discountenancing Vice, in the distribution of religious books, and the promotion of catechetical instruction.

We have next to consider of the course which it is desirable to pursue, with respect to the Association for discountenancing Vice. Of this society, the objects are threefold: to promote catechetical instruction; to distribute Bibles, Prayer-books, and other books of religious instruction; and to give assistance to schools established by the clergy. We have already stated our opinion, that the obligation of providing schools should

be removed from the clergy, and that they should be charged only with the duty of personally superintending the religious education of children of the Established Church, in their respective schools of general parochial instruction. With that duty, the distribution of Bibles and Prayerbooks, and the promotion of catechetical instruction, strictly conform; and we think the Association would constitute a most useful auxiliary to the clergy of the Established Church in those objects. With respect to their present schools, we think it desirable that they should be transferred as much as possible to the general control and inspection of the new Board, and that every facility should be given for that purpose.

The Kildare Place Society directs its attention to the publication and sale of cheap and useful books, a model-school for the training of masters and mistresses, and to the inaintenance of schools for instruction. The selection and arrangement of the books have been extremely well conducted, and we have no doubt, that the various works which they have prepared are as well calculated as any can be for schools of general instruction, from which everything is to be excluded which can offend the religious tenets of any persuasion of Christians. We think, therefore, that the arrangement and circulation of such books for the use of schools, and the sale and distribution and grants of school perquisites, may still remain with the Society, subject to the approbation or rejection of the board of Superintendence, as to all schools under its management. With respect to the model-schools also, and the establishment for training masters and mistresses, we find them to have been extremely well managed; and as the maintenance of such an establishment must, for a considerable time at least,