and to commence which he leaves the gymnasium. These certificates are delivered in an assemblage of the students of the gymnasium with suitable remarks. The certificate of maturity is necessary to enable a youth to be matriculated in either of the faculties of theology, law, medicine, and philology, in one of the national universities, to be admitted to examination for an academic degree, to be appointed to office in state or church, or to obtain one of the royal bursaries at the universities. Special exception in regard to matriculation may be made by authority of the minister of public instruction. Students who have not passed a satisfactory examination, and whose parents demand it, are entitled to a certificate, stating the branches in which they are deficient; they may enter the university with this, and are registered accordingly. This registry enables them, if they subsequently obtain a certificate of maturity, and the special permission of the minister of public instruction, to have their matriculation dated from the time of inscription. Pupils who have passed through the third class of a gymnasium are entitled to claim one year of voluntary military service, provided they report themselves at a specified time during their twentieth year.

There are two kinds of schools devoted to the preparation of teachers for the gymnasia, called respectively philological and pedagogical seminaries, (philologische seminare, pädagogische seminare.) One of the first kind is attached to the universities of Berlin, Bonn, Breslaw, Halle, Königsberg, and Greifswalde, and one of the second is placed at Berlin, Stettin, Breslaw, Halle, Königsberg, and Münster. Besides these, there is a seminary for teachers of natural philosophy and the natural sciences, at Bonn.

X. THE QUEEN'S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY

IN

IRELAND.

THE national school system in which secular instruction is kept free from whatever could offend the most susceptible sectarianism, had proved so successful in diffusing a sound elementary education among the children of the peasantry and the working classes of Ireland, that in 1845 the plan was extended so as to provide, under government endowment, the means of obtaining a liberal and professional education for the sons of the middle and upper classes-available to persons of every denomination. This was done by the establishment of the Queen's Colleges at Belfast, Cork, and Galway-now combined and incorporated into the Queen's University, the Senate or governing body of which is seated or holds its meetings at Dublin.

The entire system of United Education has been built up by the cooperation of the two great parties in the State; upon this high ground their only rivalry has been which should contribute most to the common work, and carry out most efficiently its great principle. To the Whig government of Lord Grey, belongs the honor of having first had the 'courage to proclaim and put in action that principle by the appointment of the first board of commissioners in 1831; the charter which established the schools upon a permanent basis, by constituting the commissioners a body corporate, was a measure of the Tory government of Sir Robert Peel, in 1844; on the other hand, the completion and crowning of the edifice by the addition of the colleges was the idea and enactment of Sir Robert Peel, and has been the achievement, for the greater part, of Lord John Russell. At the opening of the session of parliament on the 4th of February, 1845, her Majesty, in the speech from the throne, recommended to the consideration of the legislature "the policy of improving and extending the opportunities for academical education in Ireland ;" and on the 19th of March thereafter, Sir Robert Peel, in reply to a question by Sir Robert Inglis, took an opportunity of laying before the House of Commons an outline of the ministerial plan, both for the establishment of the three new colleges of secular learning and general instruction, and for the endowment of the Roman Catholic Theological College of Maynooth, which had been established by an act of the Irish Parliament in 1795, and had been hitherto dependent for its support only upon an annual grant of very inadequate amount. The two measures thus simultaneously announced and proposed, as in some degree connected with and dependent upon one another, were both carried through parliament in that same session. The Maynooth endowment, however, was made to take the lead. as if to intimate to the gen

eral population of Ireland-to what may be more peculiarly called the nationality of the country-that its interests and feelings were what the whole scheme primarily had regard to. If the portion of it relating to the Roman Catholic theological seminary had been defeated, the other portion of it also would probably have been withdrawn. The Maynooth bill encountered a vehement opposition, but it was ultimately passed in both Houses by great majorities. The measure for establishing three secular colleges in Ireland, wholly independent of religious tests or creeds, for the education of the middle classes, was brought forward in the commons by Sir James Graham on the 9th of May. In proposing the second reading of the bill on the 30th, Sir James announced certain alterations which ministers were disposed to make in it, with the view of affording facilities for the theological instruction of the students by clergymen, or lecturers, appointed for that purpose by the several denominations to which they might belong. On the 2d of June, an amendment moved by Lord John Manners for the postponement of the second reading of the bill was negatived, by a majority of 311 to 46. On the 30th, when it was in committee, a proposition from Lord John Russell for making the apparatus of theological instruction in the colleges a part of the establishment to be founded and upheld by the State, was rejected by a majority of 117 to 42. Finally, on the 10th of July the third reading of the bill was carried, against an amendment of Sir Robert Inglis, by a majority of 177 to 126. In the Lords it passed through all its stages without a division.

By this act, entitled "An Act to enable her Majesty to endow new colleges, for the advancement of learning in Ireland," the sum of 100,000l. was assigned out of the consolidated fund for purchasing the sites, and erecting and furnishing the buildings, of the three colleges. Her Majesty and her successors were made visitors, with power to appoint, by sign manual, persons to execute the office. The appointment of the presidents, vice-presidents, and professors, was intrusted to the Crown, until parliament should otherwise determine. The commissioners of the treasury were empowered to issue annually a sum not exceeding 7,000l., for the payment of salaries, and other expenses in each college; it being moreover provided that reasonable fees might be exacted from the students. Lecture rooms were directed to be assigned for religious instruction; and it was enacted that no student should be allowed to attend any of the colleges unless he should reside with his parent or guardian, or some near relation, or with a tutor or master of a boarding-house licensed by the president, or in a hall founded and endowed for the reception of students.

A president and vice-president for each college were soon after nom! nated, and the erection of the buildings was begun. The other appointments were made in August 1849, and the three colleges were opened in the end of October following. An additional sum of 12,000l. had shortly before been granted by parliament for providing them with libraries, philosophical instruments and some other requisites.

Originally, it was intended that the number of professors in each college, exclusive of the president and vice-president, should not exceed twelve, and letters patent constituting them upon that basis were passed for each under the great seal of Ireland in December, 1845. Afterwards it was determined that the number should be augmented for the present to nineteen, but that it should not at any time exceed thirty. The vicepresident, however, is also a professor. New letters patent embodying that extended scheme were granted in favor of each of the three colleges in November, 1850.

Under the existing constitution, then, the body politic and corporate of each college consists of a president, with a salary of 8001. and a house; a vice-president, with a salary of 500l. and a house; and professors of Greek, Latin, mathematics, history and English literature, logic and metaphysics, chemistry, natural philosophy, (each with a salary of 2501.;) modern languages, natural history, mineralogy and geology, (each with a salary of 2001.;) English law, jurisprudence and political economy, civil engineering, and agriculture, (each with a salary of 150l.;) the Celtic languages, the practice of surgery, the practice of medicine, materia medica, and midwifery, (each with a salary of 1007.) There are also attached to each college a registrar, (with a salary of 2007.;) and a bursar and librarian, (each with a salary of 150l.) A sum of 3001. annually is allowed for the payment of porters and servants. The total annual expenditure for salaries is, thus, (deducting 250l. for the professorship held by the vice-president,) 5,500/.

The remaining 1,500l. of the annual charge on the consolidated fund is allocated to the payment of scholarships and prizes. The scholarships to be awarded at the commencement of the session of 1850-51 at Belfast, are 48 of 241. each to students of the faculty of arts; 4 of 201. each to students of the faculty of medicine; 2 of 201. each to students of the faculty of law; 2 of 201. each to students of civil engineering; and 4 of 151. each to students of agriculture; the number being equally divided in all cases between students of the first and students of the second year. The scholarships are all held for one year only.

The session in all colleges extends from the third Tuesday in October to the second Saturday in June, and is divided into three terms by recesses of a fortnight at Christmas and at Easter. The fees for each class vary from 17. to 27. 10s. ; and there is besides a payment from each matriculated student to the bursar on behalf of the college of 31. at the commencement of the first year, and 27. at the commencement of every subsequent year.

It had been all along contemplated that matriculation and attendance at these colleges, as at similar institutions established by public authority in our own and other countries, should conduct to graduation both in arts and in every other faculty, except only that of divinity; and all the regulations and arrangements of the academic curiculum in each have been moulded upon that understanding. It was a question for a considerable time whether, with a view to the conferring of degrees and

1

other purposes, each college should be erected into a distinct university or the three constituted into one university. The latter plan has been adopted, undoubtedly to the placing of the new establishments in a greatly superior position to what they would have held if they had been left each to its provincial insulation; for it could never have happened that a mere Belfast, Cork, or Galway Degree would have carried the same weight with one from the Queen's University in Ireland. The letters patent creating such an university have now received the royal signature. Her Majesty has therein been pleased to declare that "graduates of our said university shall be fully possessed of all such rights, priviliges, and immunities as belong to persons holding similar degrees granted them by other universities, and shall be entitled to whatever rank and precedent is derived from similar degrees granted by other universities." The following individuals constituted the government in 1851:

Chancellor-His Excellency GEORGE WILLIAM FREDERICK, EARL OF CLARENDON, K.G. K.C.B. Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Vice-Chancellor-The Rt. Hon. Maziere Brady, Lord High Chancellor of Ireland.

THE SENATE.

His Grace Richard. Archbishop of Dublin. The Right Honorable Thomas Wyse.
The Most Reverend Archbishop Daniel Mur-Sir Phillip Crampton, Bart.
ray, D.D.

The Right Honorable William, Earl of Rosse.
K.P.

The Right Honorable Thomas Baron Mont-
eagle, of Brandon.

The Right Houorable Francis Blackburne,
Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench.
The Right Honorable Thomas Berry Cusack
Smith, Master of the Rolls.

The Right Honorable David Richard Pigot,
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.

The President of the Queen's College, Belfast, for the time being.

The President of the Queen's College, Cork,
for the time being.

The President of the Queen's College, Gal-
way, for the time being.
Richard Griffith, LL. D.
Dominic John Corrigan, M.D.
Captain Thomas Askew Larcom, R.E.
James Gibson, Esq., Barrister-at-Law.
Secretary-Robert Ball, Esq., LL.D.

STATUTES, BY-LAWS, AND REGULATIONS. The Queen's University, founded by Royal Charter, 15th August, 1850, has its seat, and holds its meetings, in the Castle of Dublin, until further order, by warrant of the Lord-Lieutenant.

The Chancellor and Senate are a corporation under the title of the Queen's University in Ireland; may sue, and may be sued, as a commo. seal, and acquire property not to exceed ten thousand pounds a year.

The government of the University vests in the Chancellor and the Senate. The Chancellor presides over its meetings, and authenticates its acts.

The Senate is formed of the three Presidents of the Queen's Colleges for the time being, and certain other persons appointed by warrant under the sign manual; in all not to exceed twenty. The vice presidents of colleges may exercise the functions of senators in the absence of their respective presidents. Five members of the Senate constitute a quorum, the chairman having a casting vote.

A vice-chancellor is to be elected annually by the Senate, aud when his election is approved of by the Lord Lieutenant, he is empowered to exercise all the functions of Chancellor in the absence of the latter.

The Senate, in the absence of both Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, may elect a chairman to conduct ordinary business.

The Senate appoint a secretary and such subordinate officers as may be necessary for dispatch of business.

The Senate have full power to make and alter by-laws and regulations; these being approved by the Lord-Lieutenant, and sealed with the common seal, become binding upon the University.

In all cases not provided for by charter, the Chancellor and Senate shall act in such manner as may appear best calculated to promote the purposes intended by the University.

Meetings of the Senate shall be convened by the secretary or acting secretary, on the authority of the Chancellor; or, in his absence, of the Vice-Chancellor, or of the chairman of a meeting of the Senate, elected as provided in the charter.

There shall be stated meetings on the 7th of January and 20th of June, in each year, or on the following day, when either of these days shall fall on a Sunday.

The Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork, and Galway, are constituted Colleges of the Queen's University, and their professors are considered professors of the University.

The power of the Univers ty Senate over the Colleges extends only to the regulation of qualification for the several degrees.

The Queen reserves to herself and successors the office of Visitor, with power to appoint others to execute the duties.