A memorial from the people of Limerick, both Roman Catholic
and Protestant, headed by the Postmaster-General (the Member for the county of Limerick), and signed by both the Roman Catholic and Protestant Bishops of Limerick, and by Dr. Moriarty, Bishop of Kerry, and many others, has been pre- sented to Mr. Gladstone, in favour of a thorough reform of the secondary system of education in Ireland, without which, say the memorialists, no reform of the University system can take full effect. Theyask in substance for an Endowed Schools' Commis- sion for Ireland, to readjust the school endowments to the wants of the people, and to bring secondary education —the means for which are said to be specially defective in the county and city of Limerick,—within reach of the inhabitants. It is not likely that this work can even be attempted in the present Session ; but such a reform is, no doubt, the first practical means by which the asser- tions of the Protestant party as to the indifference of the Catholics to the higher education can be best refuted. You, can hardly expect an active demand for University education without providing the stepping-stones of good secondary schools between the National Schools and the Colleges. In fact, it is the want of these that has turned the Queen's Colleges into pretentious grammar-schools.
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