nor of Ireland at Dublin, the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the Ninth Year of our Reign.

For C. FITZSIMON, Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper, SEAL.

DAVID SHERLOCK, Deputy.

Enrolled in the Office of the Rolls of Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery in Ireland, the First day of September, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-five.

Entered and Examined by

WILLIAM WEBB, D.K.R.

GEORGE HATCHELL, Clerk Rolls.

XI.-RULES and REGULATIONS of the COMMISSIONERS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION, and DIRECTIONS for making APPLICATION for AID towards the BUILDING OF SCHOOL-HOUSES, or for the SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS.

1.-The Commissioners grant aid towards the Building and Support of Schools of two classes, Elementary Schools and Schools of Industry; but they can grant aid only to a limited number of the latter, and these must be at certain distances from each other. It is an indispensable condition for aid towards a School of Industry, that a Work-room shall be annexed to it, if it be situated in a City or Town; and if it be a Country or Rural School, that a certain quantity of land shall be provided for Garden Culture.

It is, however, for the Patrons of each National School to determine whether they will make Agricultural or other industrial instruction part of the Education which it affords. It is for the Commissioners to do what they can in aid of their efforts, by having the teachers taught the principles and practice of improved Agriculture during their Training Course, and by receiving Agricultural Pupils at the Model Farm, Glasnevin. The Commissioners consider Schools for Females as of the class of Elementary Schools; but they require that instruction be there given in Sewing, Knitting, and other works suited to Females.

II. AS TO GOVERNMENT OF SCHOOLS WITH RESPECT TO ATTENDANCE AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

1. The ordinary School business, during which all children, of whatever denomination they may be, are required to attend, is to embrace a specified number of hours each day.

2. Opportunities are to be afforded to the Children of each

School for receiving such religious instruction as their parents or guardians approve of.

3. The Patrons of the several Schools have the right of appointing such religious instruction as they may think proper to be given therein, provided that each School be open to Children of all communions; that due regard be had to parental right and authority; that, accordingly, no child be compelled to receive, or be present at, any religious instruction to which his parents or guardians object; and that the time for giving it be so fixed, that no child shall be thereby, in effect, excluded, directly or indirectly, from the other advantages which the School affords. Subject to this, religious instruction may be given either during the fixed School hours or otherwise.

4. In Schools, towards the building of which the Commissioners have contributed, and which are, therefore, VESTED in Trustees, for the purposes of National Education, or, which are vested in the Commissioners in their Corporate capacity, such pastors or other persons as shall be approved of by the parents or guardians of the Children respectively, shall have access to them in the Schoolroom, for the purpose of giving them religious instruction there, at convenient times to be appointed for that purpose, whether those pastors or persons shall have signed the original application or otherwise.

5. In Schools NOT VESTED, but which receive aid only by way of Salary and Books, it is for the Patrons to determine whether religious instruction shall be given in the School-room or not; but if they do not allow it in the School-room, the Children whose parents or guardians so desire, must be allowed to absent themselves from the school, at reasonable times, for the purpose of receiving such instruction ELSEWHERE.

6. The reading of the Scriptures, either in the Protestant Authorized or Douay Version, as well as the teaching of Catechisms, comes within the rule as to religious instruction.

7. The rule as to religious instruction applies to Public Prayer and to all other religious exercises.

8. The Commissioners do not insist on the Scripture Lessons being read in any of the National Schools, nor do they allow them to be read during the time of secular or literary instruction, in any School attended by Children whose parents or guardians object to their being so read. In such case the Commissioners prohibit the use of them, except at the times of religious instruction, when the persons giving it may use these Lessons, or not, as they think proper.

9. Whatever arrangement is made in any School for giving religious instruction, must be publicly notified in the School-room, in order that those Children, and those only, may be present whose parents or guardians allow them.

10. If any other books than the Holy Scriptures, or the standard books of the Church to which the Children using them belon

are employed in communicating religious instruction, the title of each is to be made known to the Commissioners.

11. The use of the books published by the Commissioners is not compulsory; but the titles of all other books which the Conductors of Schools intend for the ordinary School business, are to be reported to the Commissioners; and none are to be used to which they object; but they prohibit such only as may appear to them to contain matter objectionable in itself, or objectionable for common instruction, as peculiarly belonging to some particular religious denomination.

12. A Registry is to be kept in each School of the daily attendance of the Scholars, and the average attendance, according to the Form furnished by the Commissioners.

III.-Miscellaneous.

1. It is the earnest wish of Her Majesty's Government, and of the Commissioners, that the Clergy and Laity of the different religious denominations in the country should co-operate with one another in conducting National Schools.

2. When any School is received by the Commissioners into connexion with them, the inscription "NATIONAL SCHOOL," and no other, shall be put up conspicuously on the School-house; and when a School-house is built, partly by aid from them, a stone is to be introduced into the wall having that inscription cut upon it.

3. The Commissioners require that no use shall be made of the School-rooms for any purpose tending to contention, such as the HOLDING OF POLITICAL MEETINGS IN THEM, or bringing into them political petitions or documents of any kind for signature.

4. The Commissioners require that the National School-rooms shall not be converted into places of PUBLIC WORSHIP.

5. The Commissioners require the School-rooms to be used exclusively for the purposes of Education; and any breach of this rule will be held to be a violation of the principles of the National Education System.

6. The Commissioners require that the principles of the following Lesson, or of a Lesson of a similar import, be strictly inculcated in all Schools admitted into connexion with the Board, and that a copy of the Lesson itself be hung up in each School.

Christians should endeavour, as the Apostle Paul commands them, to "live peaceably with all men" (Rom. ch. xii. v. 17), even with those of a different religious persuasion.

Our Saviour, Christ, commanded his disciples "to love one another." He taught them to love even their enemies, to bless those that cursed them, and to pray for those who persecuted them. He himself prayed for his murderers.

Many men hold erroneous Doctrines, but we ought not to hate or persecute them. We ought to seek for the truth, and to hold fast what we are convinced is the truth; but not to treat harshly those who are in Jesus Christ did not intend his religion to be forced on men by violent means. He would not allow his disciples to fight for him.

error.

If any persons treat us unkindly, we must not do the same to them; for Christ and his apostles have taught us not to return evil for evil. If we would obey Christ, we must do to others, not as they do to us, but as we would wish them to do to us.

Quarrelling with our neighbours and abusing them, is not the way to convince them that we are in the right and they in the wrong. It is more likely to convince them that we have not a Christian spirit.

We ought to show ourselves followers of Christ, who, "when he was reviled, reviled not again” (1 Pet. ch. ii. v. 23), by behaving gently and kindly to every one.

7. The Commissioners regard the attendance of any of their Teachers at Meetings held for political purposes, or their taking part in elections for Members of Parliament, except by voting, as incompatible with the performance of their duties, and as a violation of rule which will render them liable to dismissal.

8. Should the Commissioners consider any Teacher employed in a School under the Board unfit for his office, or otherwise objectionable, they require that he be dismissed and another provided. Teachers are also liable to be fined or suspended, at all times, when the Commissioners shall deem it necessary on sufficient cause being shown.

9. The Commissioners by themselves, or their Officers, are to be allowed to visit and examine the Schools whenever they think fit. Those who visit on the part of the Commissioners are furnished with credentials under their seal.

IV.-Inspection of Schools.

1. ADMISSION OF VISITORS.

1. The Public generally must have free access to every National School, during the hours devoted to secular instruction,-not to take part in the ordinary business, nor to interrupt it, but, as Visitors, to observe how it is conducted.

2. Every Teacher of a National School is to receive courteously Visitors of all denominations, to afford them free access to the School-room, and full liberty to observe what books are in the hands of the Children, or upon the desks; what tablets are hung upon the walls, and what is the method of teaching; but they are by no means required to permit any person to interrupt the business of the School, by asking questions of Children, examining classes calling for papers of any kind, or, in any other way, diverting the attention of either Teachers or Scholars from their usual business.

3. Should any Visitors wish for information which they cannot obtain by such an inspection, it is the duty of the Teachers to refer them to the Patrons or Managers of the School for it.

4. Every Teacher is required to have his Visitors' or Daily Report Book lying upon his desk, that Visitors may, if they choose, enter remarks in it. Such remarks as may be made, the Teachers are by no means to alter or erase; and the Superintendent of the district is required to transmit to the Commissioners copies

of such remarks as he may deem of sufficient importance to be made known to them.

5. As the religious instruction of the Children is under the control of the Clergyman or Lay person communicating it with the approbation of their parents, the Commissioners can give no liberty to any other Visitor, whether Clergyman or Layman, to interfere therewith.

2. INSPECTION BY THE COMMISSIONERS OR THEIR OFFICERS.

1. The Commissioners do not take the control or regulation of any School, except their own Model Schools, directly into their own hands, but leave all Schools aided by them under the authority of the Local Conductors. The Superintendents, therefore, are not to give direct orders, as on the part of the Board, respecting any necessary regulations, but to point out such regulations to the conductors of the School, that they may give the requisite orders. 2. The Commissioners require that every National School be inspected by the Superintendent of the district, at least three times in each year.

3. The Superintendent on each inspection, is to communicate with the Patron or Correspondent, for the purpose of affording information concerning the general state of the School, and pointing out such violations of rule, or defects, if any, as he may have observed; and he is to make such suggestions as he may deem necessary.

4. He is to examine the Visitors' Book, or Daily Report Book, and to transmit to the Commissioners copies of any observations made therein which he may consider to be of importance.

5. He is not to make any observation in the Book, except the date of his visit, the time occupied in the inspection of the School, showing the precise time at which it commenced, and the precise time at which it terminated; and also the number of Scholars present.

6. Upon ordinary occasions, he is not to give any intimation of his intended visit; but during the middle term of the year, from 1st of May to the 31st of August, when the inspection is to be public, he is to make such previous arrangements with the Local Managers, as will facilitate the attendance of the parents of the Children, and other persons interested in the welfare of the Schools.

7. He is to report to the Commissioners the result of each visit, and to use every means to obtain accurate information as to the discipline, management, and methods of instruction pursued in

the School.

8. He is to examine all the classes in succession, in their dif ferent branches of study, so as to enable him to ascertain the degree and efficiency of the instruction imparted.

9. He is to examine the Class Rolls, Register, and Daily Report Book, and to report with accuracy what is the actual number of Children receiving instruction at the School, and what is the daily average attendance.

10. He is to receive a monthly Report from the Teacher of each