These schools increased, and with them the government grants. Schools receiving grants are subject to the inspection of persons appointed by government. In 1859 there was granted by Parliament 836,920/. for public education in Great Britain, and 249,468/. for Ireland ; and in England, in 1858, at the time of inspection there were 821,744 scholars present. In 1860 the grants were 798,1671. for Great Britain and 270,722/. for Ireland; and in Ireland, on Dec. 31, 1859, there were 519,175 children on the rolls, and an average of 269,203 in daily attendance. Grants are allowed by the Council of Education to all schools admitting of the inspection of the government inspectors. There are 24 training colleges. In almost every Poor-Law Union schools are established for the pauper children, at which, in July, 1859, there were 65,656 children receiving instruction. In Ireland, agricul tural schools have been established in connection with the Poor-Law Union, which have proved successful in their pecuniary results and beneficial to the children.
The efforts of the legislature have not been confined to grants of money or to the poor. Without noticing the number of schemes pro posed, and the debates upon them, in which the adherents of the voluntary principle, and those advocating a national superintendence and support, have contrived to neutralise each other's efforts, we will shortly notice what has been actually done. In 1842 an act was paased for facilitating the acquisition of sites for school-houses. which was repeated, amended, and extended in 1850, 1852, and 1853. In 1843 hind and buildings occupied by Societies for literary and scientifio pur poses were exempted from the payment of county, borough, parochial, and other local rates ; and in 1854 further facilities for the institution of such societies were afferded by another act. In 1844, in a Poor-Law Amendment Act, the Poor-Law Commissioners were empowered to combine parishes and unions into school districts, to form boards for their governance, which boards, subject to the regulations of the com missioners, were to appoint, pay, and control its teachers and other officers for the purpose of instructing the children of the poor; but no child was to be compelled to attend any religious service contrary to the principles of. or be instructed in, any religious creed contrary to that professed by. the parents ; and in 1848 the provisions of the act were amended, by extending them to parishes not in unions, and removing the limitation of expense, previously limited to one-fifth of the aggregate of the poor-law expenditure. The 15 Vict. c. 34, 1855, gives guardians of poor-law unions power to afford relief, so as to enable poor children, between the ages of four and sixteen, to be sent to schools. In 1847 the law regulating the attendance at school of children employed in print-worka was amended.- In 1850 an act was passed empowering town-councils to establish public libraries and museums, by imposing a small rate, such libraries and museums to be open to the public free of expense; extended in 1855 to places not having councils and to parishes ; and similar acts were passed for Scotland and Ireland in 1853, ]854, and 1855.
In addition to this legislative action, the general public have not been wanting in efforts to diffuse education. In most of the large towns ragged schools have been formed and supported for the instruction of the more destitute children; and, in conjunction with mere school learning, it has been endeavoured to inculcate habits of industry, by establishing shoe-black brigades and crossing sweepers, by which boys during the day are enabled to earn money, a part being devoted to their support, and the remainder placed to their account, to form a fund for their future advancement, their evenings being spent in school. The results, on the whole, have been very satisfactory. Schools have also been established for teaching girls common things, chiefly in domestic economy. The preparation of teachers has been also more attended to, and few of the paid instructors, either male or female, are now appointed to any of the schools without certificates of capability from recognised examiners. For this purpose the National Society, the British and Foreign School Society, the Congregational Board of Education, and the Voluntary School Society, have established normal and model schools, where instruction is afforded, capability tested, and certificates granted. Inspectors are appointed to visit all the schools by the Board of Education, and also by the above-named societies to visit their own.
In 1345 an act was passed for endowing Maynooth College for the better education of the Roman Catholic priesthood. In the same year was also passed an act "enabling her Majesty to endow new Colleges," in consequence of which the Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork, and Galway have been built and endowed. A sum of 100,000!. 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 entrusted to the Crown, until parliament should otherwise determine. The Commis sioners of the Treasury were empowered to issue annually a sum not exceeding 7000/. for the payment of salaries and other expenses in each college ; it being moreover provided that reasonable fees should be exigible 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.