186 EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENTS (IRELAND) COMMISSION.
In conclusion, I submit deferentially, ,that the Commissioners have in their hands a chance not likely to be offered again.
Their duty is plain and unquestioned—to consider the interests of education, and to raise its standard in Ireland.
The Commis¬ sioners seem of opinion that this can best be done by establishing further grammar schools; my argument is that it may equally well, if not better, be done by improving the present establishments.
Excellence chaUenges imitation; to raise the few schools at
present under the Erasmus Smith Endowments fifty or a hundred above their present condition would I think, prove a stimulus to other schools and other endowments, greater than any it is possible to conceive and an advancement of the best educational interests of Ireland which may mark an epoch in its eventful history.
(Signed), John Thompson, M.A.,
(Senior Classical Master, High School, Dublin).
No.
I (g.)
Letters Patent op Charles II.—A.D.
1667.
(See Supra, p.
141.)
Charles the second by the grace of God of England Scotland ffrance & Ireland king defendor of the ffaith <fcc To all men to whome these p'sents shall come greeting Whereas in pursuance of two severall Acts of parliament lately made in our sd kingdome of Ireland the one intituled An Act for the better execucon of his Maties gracious declaracon for the settlement of his kingdome of Ireland & satisfaccon of the severall Interests of Adventurers souldiers & other his subjects there And the other intituled An Act for the explaineing of some doubts ariseing upon an Act intituled An Act for the better execucon of his Maties gracious declaracon for the settlement of his kingdome of Ireland & satisfacccn of the severall interests of Adventurers Souldiers & other his subjects there & for makeing some alteracons of & addicons unto the sd Act for the more speedy & effectuall settlement ofthe said kingdome the right reverend father in God Henry Jones Bishop of Meath John Bysse Esq our Cheife Baron of our Court of Excheq in our sd kingdome of Ireland Hierome Saukey & Edward Roberts Esqs Richard Teigh DanieU Hutchinson & John Preston of the citty of Dublin Aldermen Trustees for Erasmus Smythe of the citty of London Esq did for and on the behalfe of the sd Erasmus Smythe upon the nine and twentieth day of January in the seaventeenth yeare of our raigne exhibite their peticon & Schedule before our right trusty & welbeloved Councellor Sir Edward Smith knight our cheife Justice of our Court of Comon Pleas in our sd kingdome of Ireland Sir Edward Dering Baronett Sir Allen Brodrick knight our Surveyor generaU of our sd kingdome of Ireland Sir Winston Churchill knight & Edward Cooke Esq our Com-issioners appointed for executeing the aforesd Acts therein setting forth that thsy the sd Trustees in the right <fc on the behalfe only of the sd Erasmus Smith & noe otherwise are by two severall clauses & provisoes in the sd Explanitory Act exp'ssed and conteyned lawfully intituled unto the severall lands tenements & hereditaments in the sd peticon & schedule thereunto annexed particulerly menconed Which sd lands are likewise hereafter in these p'sents pticularly named under the trusts & limitacons hereafter menconed as in & by the sd clauses or provisoes relacon being thereunto had more fully & largely doth & may appeare And therefore prayed an adjudicacon of theire right & tytle thereunto And the certificate of the sd Coraissioners in order to theire passing letters patents under our greate seale of our said kingdome of Ireland for the same as in & by the scl Acts is directed And whereas the sd peticon was fully heard before our sd Comissioners on the six and twentieth day of June in the eighteenth yeare of our raigne And upon heareing thereof and consideracon had of one provisoeor clause in the sixty third page of the sd explanitory Act exp'ssed & conteyned as it followeth in these words that is to say And whereas amongst severall bills certified and transmitted xmder the greate seale of Ireland unto his Matiein his High Court of Chancery in England by a certificate beareing date att Dublin the thirteenth day of May in the sixteenth yeare of his Maties raigne a Bill is transmitted intituled An Act for settling of certaine lands of Erasmus Smith Esq
for charitable uses Bee it further enacted by the authority aforesd that all the lands tenements & heridaments in the sd Bill menconed And thereby intended to bee disposed for charitable uses & not already decreed away by the Comissioners for execucon of the sd former Act shalbee continued & applyed unto & p'served intirely for such pious and chari¬ table uses and that the Comissioners for execucon of this Act shall not allot or distribute the sd lands or any part thereof or suffer the same to bee allotted or distributed to any Adventurer or Souldier in pursuance of this Act and where any ofthe sd lands sett out by the sd Erasmus Smith to pious or charitable uses have been evicted recovered or charged by any decrees which are confirmed by this Act the Comissioners for execucon of this Act shall cause a like quantity of forfeited & profitable acres within the countyes of Lowth (if soe much can there bee found) or otherwise elsewhere to bee sett out & allotted to the same pious uses as may bee sufficient to recompence the losse which hath happened by such Decress as aforesd Any thing in this or the sd former Act to the contrary notwith¬ standing the sd Comissioners did declare that it appeared unto them that the sd lands tenements <fc hereditaments were seized sequestred disposed dis¬ tributed sett out or sett apart by reason of or upon accompt of the late horrid rebellion or warr which begann or broke out in our said kingdome of Ireland on the three and twentieth day of October which was in the yeare of our lord God one thousand six hundred forty one & were thereby forfeited unto & vested in us according to the intent & true meaneing of the sd Acts & that the same were allotted assigned given granted ordered distributed disposed sett out or sett apart unto the sd Erasmus Smith or those under whome bee claymeth the same for theire severaU & respective adventures bona fide payd for lands forfeited in Ireland in pursuance of severall Acts of Parliament of the sixteenth & seaventeenth yeare of the raigne of our late royall ffather King Charles the first of ever glorious memory deceased & were upon the seaventh day of May which was in the yeare of our lord God one thousand six hundred fifty & nine in the actuall seezin possession <fe occupacon of the sd Erasmus Smith his trustees aforesd or those under whome he or they clay me their lessees or undertennants And that it further appeared unto them that by the sd bUl certified & transmitted under the greate seale of our sd kingdome of Ireland unto us in our high Court of Cbancery in our sd kingdome of England as aforesd entituled An Act for settling of certaine lands of Erasmus Smith Esq for charitable uses the said lands tenements & hereditamts.
hereafter menconed were.
intended to bee settled for severall charitable uses therein exp'ssed And that although the sd BiU is not yett passed into a law yett the said lands tenements & hereditaments in the sd Bill menconed & thereby intended to be disposed for charitable uses & not already decreed away ought by vertue of the aforesd clause conteyned in the sd sixty third page of the sd Act of Explanacon to bee continued and applyed unto & p'served intirely for such pious & charitable uses as are therein menconed And thereupon it was adjudged
