COPY of CORRESPONDENCE between the GOVERNMENT, the COMMITTEE of COUNCIL on EDUCATION, and the IRISH COMMISSIONERS of NATIONAL EDUCATION, on the Subject of the PRINTING and SALE to the PUBLIC of the IRISH NATIONAL SCHOOL BOOKS, since the 17th day of May, 1851.

The LORDS of HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY to the COMMITTEE of COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

Treasury Chambers, 3rd July, 1851. SIR,-I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit herewith, for the information of the Committee of Council on Education, a copy of their Lordships' Minute of the 1st instant, relative to a correspondence that has taken place between Mr. Longman and Mr. Murray and Lord John Russell and the Irish Board of National Education, in respect to the sale of school books intended for the use of the Irish National Board.

I am, &c.,

(Signed)

R. R. W. Lingen, Esq.

G. CORNEWALL LEWIS.

ENCLOSURE in foregoing Letter.

COPY of TREASURY MINUTE, dated 1st July, 1851.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL brings under the notice of the Board a correspondence between Mr. Longman and Mr. Murray, and himself and the Irish National Board of Education, relative to the sale of school books intended for the use of the Irish National Schools.

My Lords, upon a consideration of all the circumstances of the ease, are of opinion that the school books printed for the Irish National Board should be limited to the supply required for the use of the Irish National Schools.

My Lords, however, think it expedient that measures should be adopted by which the sale of the same school books in an authentic form, and at reasonable prices to the public at large, should be continued; and they desire that a plan for giving effect to such an arrangement may be prepared by the Irish National Board, and submitted to their Lordships for their consideration.

Write accordingly to the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland.

The COMMITTEE of COUNCIL on EDUCATION to the LORDS of HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY.

4th July, 1851.

SIR,-In reply to your letter of the 3rd instant, enclosing a copy of the Treasury Minute dated the 1st instant, relative to the sale of the school books published by the Irish Commissioners of Education to the public at large, I am directed to inquire whether my Lords are right in presuming that, until a plan has been matured by the Irish Commissioners, and finally settled to the satisfaction of the Lords of the Treasury, for the continued supply of the same books through some other agency than at present, but in an authentic form and at reasonable prices, no interruption will be made in the supply of these books, pursuant to their Lordship's Minute, dated 18th December, 1847.

I have, &c., (Signed)

G. Cornewall Lewis, Esq., M.P.,

R. R. W. LINGEN.

&c., &c., &c.

The LORDS of HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY to the COMMITTEE of COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

Treasury Chambers, 7th July, 1851. SIR,-In reply to your letter of the 4th instant, I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, that their Lordships are right in assuming that no interruption will be made in the supply of school books, pursuant to the Minute of this Board of the 18th December, 1847, until a plan for the supply of the same books in an authentic form and at reasonable prices, through other agency, has been adopted.

The Secretary,

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

Committee of Council on Education.

C. E, TREVELYan.

The COMMITTEE of COUNCIL on EDUCATION to the COMMISSIONERS of NATIONAL EDUCATION in IRELAND.

7th July, 1851.

GENTLEMEN,—I am directed by the Lords of the Education Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council to request that you

will inform the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland that my Lords have been furnished with a copy of the Treasury Minute, dated 1st July, 1851, relative to the sale of the Irish National School books to the public at large, and calling upon the Commissioners to submit to the Lords of the Treasury, for their consideration, a plan for giving effect to such an arrangement.

I am to express a hope, on behalf of my Lords of the Education Committee of the Privy Council, that the Commissioners in Ireland may find it to be in their power to allow my Lords an opportunity of seeing, and of offering to the Commissioners any remarks that may be deemed desirable upon the plan of the Commissioners, before it is submitted to the Lords of the Treasury.

In the mean time I am to inform you that the Lords of the Treasury understand that the supply of the Irish school books, pursuant to the Minute of the Committee of Council on Education, dated 18th December, 1847, will not be interrupted, as you will gather from the enclosed copy of a letter from the Treasury, in reply to a reference upon that subject.

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

The Secretaries, &c., &c., &c.

R. R. W. LINGEN.

The COMMISSIONERS of NATIONAL EDUCATION in IRELAND to the COMMITTEE of COUNCIL on EDUCATION.

Education Office, Dublin, 19th July, 1851.

SIR, We have had the honour of laying before the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland your letter of the 7th instant, requesting that the Commissioners would afford the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education an opportunity of seeing and offering to the Commissioners any remarks that may be deemed advisable, upon whatever plan they may decide on, recommending to the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury, for continuing the sale of the Irish National School books, in an authentic form and at reasonable prices, to the public at large, the books printed for this Board being limited to the supply of the National Schools in Ireland, in accordance with the Minute of the Treasury.

In reply, we are to acquaint you that the Commissioners will feel much pleasure in complying with the request of their Lordships when they shall have had full time to deliberate

upon what plan they may recommend to the consideration of the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury.

The COMMITTEE of COUNCIL on EDUCATION to the COMMISSIONERS of NATIONAL EDUCATION in IRELAND.

5th September, 1851. GENTLEMEN,-With reference to your letter dated 19th July, 1851, and to the preceding correspondence, I beg leave to request that you will be so good as to lay before the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland the enclosed copy of a letter dated 1st August, 1851, from the Secretary to the Roman Catholic Poor School Committee in Great Britain. This Committee is the recognised medium of communication between the Roman Catholics in Great Britain and the Government in matters of elementary education for the working classes, and the communication is of importance accordingly. I have, &c.,

(Signed)

The Secretaries, &c., &c., &c.

R. R. W. LINGEN.

ENCLOSURE in foregoing Letter.

Brook Green House, Hammersmith, 1st August, 1851.

SIR, The attention of the Poor School Committee has been called to a pamphlet issued from Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Dublin, respecting the publication of school books by Government at the public expense.

The complaints made on this subject relate exclusively to the books of the Irish Commissioners; and reports are current to the effect that the circulation of the books in question will no longer be encouraged by the Committee of Council on Education.

It becomes therefore the imperative duty of the Poor School Committee to represent, that although applications are understood to have been made from at least two quarters for the insertion upon their Lordships' schedule, of books issued by Catholic authors, and commonly used in schools, yet no such books have been added to the authorised list, which, with the exception of the Irish pub