encouraging secondary education in Ireland, by devoting the pro- ceeds
of /1,000,000 of the surplus of the Irish Church to assisting the most deserving of those who are under education, and the most efficient of the secondary schools which give it. The Government do not propose to found anything, or to take any responsibility for any of the schools which their plan may result in assisting ; but they undertake to examine the secondary schools every year,—to distribute scholarships, tenable during the term of education, to the best of those thus examined ; and to assist the school managers, by paying them a certain sum per head for every boy who passes the annual ex- amination in not less than two subjects, and more for those who pass in more than two subjects. Any school shall be a secondary school within the meaning of these provisions which, not being a national (or primary) school, affords classical or scientific educa- tion to pupils under eighteen years of age, of whom not less than ten shall have made 100 attendances at least in the period between the 15th October and the last day of the month pre- ceding the examination" (which i8 to be held in either June or Jnly). The subjects of examination are to be Latin and Greek, with Roman and Greek history ; English, and English literature and history ; French, German, and Italian languages and litera- tures; mathematical and natural science. Hence there will be no difficulty to any good secondary school, with as many as twenty pupils, in profiting by the Government scheme. We trust the Bill will pass this Session, which must depend on the Home- rulers not finding an excuse for regarding the proposal of the Government as "unpatriotic." But Home-rulers are great in cavils.
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