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Art. V. Observations on the State of Education in Ireland. 

 By George Harvey, Esq., F.R.S., L. and E. 



[Communicated by the Author.] 

 Through the kindness of Mr. Rickman, I received in November 

 last, the Population Returns for Ireland for the year 1821, and 

 from its being the first authentic enumeration of the Irish 

 people, and from its having been carried on under the most favour- 

 able auspices, and, according to Mr. Shaw Mason, with every 

 precaution for ensuring accuracy on the parts of the enumerators *, 

 the results cannot but be highly interesting to the philanthropist, 

 the philosopher, and the politician. 



It is not my intention, on the present occasion, to enter on the 



* "The enumerators were called upon to make a preliminari/ return, ac- 

 cording to a form transmitted for the purpose, specifying- the names and num- 

 ber of the parishes, to wnlands, or other subdivisions of the district to which 

 tfiey had been appointed ; the names and addresses of the clergymen of every 

 religious persuasion, actually resident within their respective districts, as also 

 the names and addresses of schoolmasters of every description resident therein, 

 with the names of the townlands, &c., on which their schools were kept. In 

 consequence of this application, several who had been appointed voluntarily 

 resigned, from a consciousness of their own inadequacy; some were found to 

 be incompetent, and so reported to the bench of magistrates, whereupon their 

 places were supplied by others deemed more capable of furnishing the informa- 

 tion, on their producing proof of possessing the qualifications required. Other 

 beneficial results also accrued from this process. Various points relative to 

 the position, connexion, names, or other local circumstances of the country, 

 were explained, and errors rectified. Some of the returns also contained much 

 additional information of great value in the progress of the inquiry. The 

 returns of the names of the clergy and of the schoolmasters opened a wide field 

 of communication, which proved essential towards ultimate success. 



" After it had been thus ascertained that every district was supplied with an 

 enumerator qualified to make a satisfactory return, a copy of printed instruc- 

 tions was forwarded to each, detailing the steps to be taken by him in his ope- 

 rations under the act. These instructions were framed on the principle, that 

 nothing should be required from the enumerators but matter of fact, excluding 

 anything depending solely on opinion, or on deductions to be formed from 

 the facts so collected ; as also, that as much additional information should be 

 collected as could be done, without an undue interference with the time or 

 attention requisite for attaining the main object of the census." 



