218 Mr. Harvey on the 



consideration of the deeply-interesting question of the rapid in-* 

 crease of the Irish population, and of the many remarkable results 

 which the present returns disclose ; but to offer for the considera- 

 tion of your intelligent readers, a few observations on the state 

 of education in Ireland, drawn from the number of pupils of both 

 sexes in the several counties. I feel it necessary, however, to 

 confess, notwithstanding the declaration of the learned editor of 

 the Returns *, that I entertain some fears that this part of his 

 labours does not entirely merit our confidence ; that either the enu- 

 merators did not in this case perform faithfully their duty, not- 

 withstanding the laudable care displayed by the Irish government 

 in selecting proper persons for that purpose ; or that the returns 

 are only calculated to increase that regret which most of us have 

 been accustomed to feel, when reflecting on the low and degraded 

 state of that generous people. At all events, the discussion of the 

 question can do no harm, for if the returns which relate to the 

 schools are correct^ it ought to quicken our diligence and zeal in 

 favour of so low and degraded a people ; and if incorrect^ that more 

 earnest endeavours should be exerted at the next enumeration of 

 the people, to obtain more accurate and faithful returns ; nor shall 

 I regret, in case the latter supposition should be true, the labour 

 the computation of the succeeding tables has cost me, if it should 

 lead to more accurate and faithful returns for the future t. 



* This declaration is to the following effect: (See page 16 of Preliminary 

 Observations): — 



" The instructions given to the enumerators on this point (schools and pupils) 

 were precise and particular; they were to inform themselves not only of the 

 situation of every school within their district, but also of the names of the 

 teachers, the number of pupils, both male and female, and the nature of the 

 endowment (if any) by which they were maintained. These particulars were 

 deemed of sufficient importance to justify their admission into the abstract 

 prepared for Parliament, in which they appear in columns, containing a state- 

 ment of the number of children, both male and female, actually receiving public 

 instruction at the time of taking tlie census. When the schools^eceived the 

 ■whole or part of their support from eleemosynary sources, the particulars, both 

 as to the nature of the foundation and the names of the contributors, have also 

 been given in the column of observations." 



t Since this paper was drawn up, I have received the first Number of the 



