Limit smilies per page is used only for
/adm/index.php?i=icons&mode=smilies
but not for
"Add emoticons"!!!!!

If you have many emoticons in dir "smilies", the page "Add emoticons/smilies" is very very slow!!

Please use, also on this page, limit setted in "smilies_per_page".

Not you put a limit on the page they were needed most.