104 



REPORT 1853. 



Again, the town is situated on the side of a hill rising from the riverside; the in- 

 habitants of the lowest portion consist mainly of the poorest or utterly destitute 

 classes, those of the middle portion of the middle or less afHuent classes, and those 

 of the townships of persons who are wealthy, or at least in comfortable circum- 

 stances. The first and most necessitous of these sets may be estimated at 180,000; 

 hence there are about 87,000 in the second, and 132,000 in the third. 



II. Educational Demand. — It is estimated from careful inquiry that two-thirds of 

 these, though not all belonging to the class "poor," take advantage of the education 

 which is provided for the poor, or which is not self-supporting. Hence, the children 

 in a mixed population of about 266,666 require to be provided for. The writer has 

 also found from a statistical inquiry on the spot, that in a mixed population, exactly 

 25 per cent, are of the ages most likely to attend school, viz. from 3^ to 12. Thus 

 the educational demand is fixed at 66,666. 



III. Educational Supply. — This was examined under the four heads of (1) Church 

 Schools, (2) Protestant Dissenters' Schools, (3) Roman Catholic Schools, (4) Ge- 

 neral Schools, or those unconnected with any religious denomination. By all 

 sections of the community the details had been furnished with great readiness. 



The Church Schools consist of two kinds, those that are practically so, e. g. con- 

 nected with public institutions, and those which are formally so, e. g. connected 

 with district churches and their congregations. The following table shows the 

 special eflforts of the church in the education of the poor : — 



The rate of progress in the founding of these may be seen from an examination of 

 only ten years. It is one school and a half annually. 



In 1843, there were 23 district schools, 



„ 1846 „ ,. 27 „ 



„ 1853 „ „ 38 „ 



The accommodation and attendance at the schools of Protestant dissenters was 

 derived from a statistical return made in the beginning of the year. Including 

 Jews and Latter Day Saints, indeed all who are not either Churchmen or Roman 

 Catholics, the attendance is 3895, and the accommodation 4869. 



The following table shows the same facts respecting the schools of the Roman 

 Catholics, and at the same time exhibits the rate of their increase. Of the three 

 which are' given separately two were to be opened in 1853, superseding a part of the 

 existing accommodation, and the last is yet in progress :— 



1816 



1828 

 1830 

 1833 

 1846 

 1846 

 1847 



Present 

 Accommodation. 

 Copperas-hill (500 original accommo- 

 dation) 880 .... 



St. Patrick's, Park .1200 .... 



Seel-street 750 .... 



St. Antonv's 625 .... 



St. Vincent de Paul 500 .... 



St. Joseph's 375 .... 



St. Mary's, Ray-street 625 



1849 ... Holy Cross 650 



880 

 1200 

 620 

 500 

 500 

 300 

 500 

 700 



