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mises of last summer have dwindled down! Had an Education Bill been introduced, such as would have satisfied the Church, you may be sure there would have been no more opposition offered to it, than the little minute of council has excited. But if the government had brought forward such a plan as would have satisfied their sectarian adherents, then were their own days assuredly numbered; for instantly the scattered fragments of the opposition would have rallied round the Church, and the only chance of existence which the present ministry possesses would at once have been gone."—(Ibid.)

Statistics.

MINING AND MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS OF SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE.

A PAPER on this subject, by Mr. Fletcher, was read at the last meeting of the statistical society. The northermost part of the district was selected for the enquiry. The population is employed in the mining of coal and iron, the working of blast furnaces, and the manufacture of the metal produced into heavy articles of cast iron, or into the ruder of the wares that are formed out of wrought iron, such as nails, locks, and sadlers' ironmongery. In the area under consideration, extending over 67,060 acres, with a population in 1841 of 271,725, there are existing, at this time, scarcely any private day schools expressly for the children of the labouring classes at all worthy of the name. There are, in fact, no private day schools, in the common understanding of the term, for the children of the poor above the years of infancy, but only for the children of the middle classes, into the lowest order of which a section of labourers' children are sometimes admitted, at reduced fees, to learn to read only, or to learn nothing, as it may happen, in schools in effect unorganized. Even the more respectable sort of dame schools belong properly to the middle classes; while the remainder are properly "out-of-the-way schools," as the parents call them, or mere cottage kitchens, of some kind but totally uneducated neighbour, to which the children are sent merely to be kept out of the way of harm. Those who are not acquainted with such districts, can scarcely form a conception how exclusively these regions of smoke, cinders, and scoriæ, appear to be occupied by workpeople only. The number of children and young persons, at each of four periods of age, in the gross population, and in the schools, is as follows:

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Thus the acknowledged deficiency of attendance (much less than the inspectors find in schools of superior organisation which they visit) is equal to the number on the books above stated, whose ages could not be obtained; and striking these two items out of consideration, the remaining figures give a true statement of the present extent of popular instruction in this district. The averages of each class of public day and infant schools, and of each denomination of Sunday schools, in the parliamentary borough of Wolverhampton, are as follows:

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Taking the number in day schools and the number in Sunday schools jointly into consideration, it has to be borne in mind that nearly the whole of the former is included in the latter, under the universal rule, that the children in the day school shall attend the Sunday schools of the same connection. As nearly as these returns will bring us to accuracy, it may be concluded that somewhat more than one-half of the children of the labouring classes in this district go to schools of some sort, and that the greater number of these, besides the very little that some of them acquire under five years of age in infant schools, have some two or three years of attendance in poor day schools, chiefly at an age just above that of infancy, besides some ten years in Sunday schools, generally of a very inferior description, under voluntary teachers, often themselves ignorant and unskilled. Whether the term heathenism would be ill or harshly applied to the mental and moral condition in which the other half of the children are growing up, the author leaves to those who have personal knowledge of districts similar to the one under consideration.

Entelligence.

OXFORD CLASS LIST IN LITERIS HUMANIO

RIBUS.-EASTER TERM.

CLASS I.

Hichens, William, St. John's.
Ross, Charles D., Wadham.
Sellar, William Y., Balliol.
Wodehouse, Lord, Christ Church.

CLASS II.

Colenso, Thomas B., Exeter.
Cree, John A., University.
Davey, William H., Lincoln.
Howard, Edward J., Lincoln.
Marriett, Wharton B., Exeter.
Maynard, John H. P., Pembroke.
Meyrick, Frederick, Trinity.
Petch, George, Lincoln.
Povah, Alfred, Wadham.
Price, Thomas, Magdalen Hall.
Southey, Thomas C., Queen's.
Walter, Frank, Worcester.

CLASS III.

Baker, James, University.
Bland, Philip D., University.

Bullock, William T., Magdalen Hall.

Field, Edmund, Exeter.

Hearn, Thomas I., New College.
Heygate, W. U., Merton.
Hull, John W., Brasenose.
Kewley, John W., Brasenose.

Lowndes, Charles C., St. Mary Hall.
Marsh, Thomas, St. Edmund Hall.
Milman, William, Christ Church.
Ogilvy, Lord, Christ Church.
Pinder, Edward, Wadham.
Shebbeare, Charles H., University.

Stapylton, William C., Merton.
Tamplin, George F., St. John's.

Vickers, John C. H., St. Mary Hall.
Whitlock, George S., Brasenose.

Witherby, Robert H., Exeter.

CLASS IV.

Alexander, William, New Inn Hall.
Chalker, Frederick, Corpus.

Compton, Berkeley D., Merton.
Keene, Charles R., Balliol.

King, Richard H., Merton.

Langton, Stephen St. P., Magdalen Hall.
Morgan, Hugh, Jesus.

Orlebar, Augustus, Wadham.

Peel, Robert K., Balliol. Ricketts, Martin H., Exeter.

Roberts, John L., Queen's.

Sanders, Arthur, Balliol.
Sargent, Henry W., Merton.

Woolley, Frederick, St. Mary Hall.
EXAMINERS.

Rowland Muckleston.

Thomas Frederick Henney.
John Ernest Bode.

William Edward Buckley.

National Society.-The society is now making increased exertions to complete the general inquiry into the provision made for education in church schools. The work is impeded by the want of returns from many parishes. A second application is now being made for the required information, and it is earnestly hoped that the clergy of the parishes referred to will kindly fill up the tabular form, and return it with as little delay as possible. As the results of this inquiry are to be printed in detail, it is expected that the work, when completed, will be the most valuable record extant of church school statistics.

The sub-committee appointed to arrange the plan for awarding certificates to candidates for the office of national schoolmasters have made their report and have recommended that certificates of competency to exercise the profession of national schoolmasters should be presented to nine out of the seventeen masters who were examined at Christmas last. The committee have adopted the recommendation of the sub-committee, and have given directions for a proper certificate to be engraved and presented to the successful candidates.

On Monday, the 26th of April, a sermon was preached at St. Mark's College Chapel by the Lord Bishop of London, on the occasion of the anniversary, when a collection was made in aid of a fund for the extension of the college. Nearly 50 of the youths formerly educated in the college were present. The annual examination will take place on the 3rd of June.

Fifteen exhibitions of £15 each, for one year's training, have been granted by the committee, to be competed for by persons desirous of being trained at the society's institution at Battersea, with a view to take charge of schools in the mining and manufacturing districts. There are at present 70 students in training at Batter

sea.

At Whitelands, Chelsea, during the past month, 17 applications have been made for admission. Nine of the candidates have been admitted, and the others wait for vacancies. At present there are 74 young women in training. Schoolmis

tresses from this institution have just been appointed to schools at Guiseley, Finchley, North Somercoates, and Witham. The Rev. H. Baber, incumbent of Forebridge, Stafford, and inspector of schools for the archdeaconry of Stafford, has been elected chaplain to this institution.

At Westminster the application for teachers, especially for schoolmistresses, continues very greatly to exceed the supply.. Masters have been appointed to schools at Llangynwyd near Bridgend, All Saints Southampton, Meopham near Gravesend, St. Thomas Stepney, Standish in Lancashire, and Chailey in Sussex. Mistresses have been appointed to schools at Ripley, Hythe, Curtain-road Shoreditch, St. John's Brighton, Swinefleet Lincolnshire, Clifton Yorkshire, Worthing, and Wandsworth.

Mr. Tearle has been appointed to organise the schools connected with the parish church of St. George, Hanover Square. Mr. Ingram is reported to be rendering valuable assistance in organising schools under the Salisbury board. Mr. Harris has completed the work assigned to him at Birmingham, having organised, in the parish of Birmingham, the schools connected with the churches of All Saints, St. George, St. Thomas, St. Mark, St. Bartholomew, Bishop Ryder, St. Paul, St. Mary, St. Stephen; and in the parish of Ashton, the schools connected with the churches of St. Andrew and Holy Trinity in Bordesley, St. Matthew Duddeston, at Washwood Heath, and St. James, Ashted. In these schools the numbers on the books amount to 3,791, and the number actually in attendance when the schools were organised amounted to 2,806. Mr. Harris has drawn an ecclesiastical and scholastic map of Birmingham, shewing the positions of the schools and churches, and the amount of accommodation provided in them for the population of the town. The boundaries of the several parochial districts are carefully marked out. The map has been lithographed, and the profits, if there are any, are to be appropriated to the Birmingham Infant School Fund.

The committee have received the annual reports of the Northamptonshire society, the Bedfordshire board of Education, and of the board for the archdeaconries of Llandaff and Monmouth. The Northamptonshire society continues the excellent plan of printing a return of the numbers of the children, &c. in each of the schools connected with the society. It appears that there are 13,716 children in the schools, of whom rather more than one-half receive daily instruction. With the sanction of the Lord Bishop of the diocese, a system of inspection by the several rural deans has been attempted in the northern division of the county, with a view to the adjudication

of Sir James Langham's prizes. The attempt has so far succeeded that it is hoped ere long an annual inspection of every school in the county may be effected. The society has made a few grants for school purposes; but the committee deplore the want of funds.

It appears by the report of the Bedfordshire board, that they have appointed an inspector, who has reported upon several schools which he has visited. The inspector is Mr. Riley, a layman, and a schoolmaster of considerable standing. The board look for very beneficial results from this appointment. The report dwells on the necessity of the National Society uniting with the board to employ a surveyor to examine and report upon all school buildings to which grants have been voted, in order that due security should be had that the buildings have been erected and finished in a substantial and proper manner. It is obvious, however, that the expenses of such a proceeding would be very considerable. The board have adopted several judicious rules to be observed by applicants for grants, one of which is, that the school premises must be insured from fire. It appears also that the trustees of the Bedford charity have afforded certain facilities to the board for the training of masters. The National Society is indebted to this board for a grant of £20 to its general fund, and £100 to its special fund.

The Monmouthshire and Llandaff board, it appears, are making exertions to meet the applications for grants towards building new schoolrooms, which are now being called for in many parts of the archdeaconries. The board have already voted several grants for this purpose. It also appears that the Marquis of Bute has munificently signified his intention of subscribing £100 a year, for ten years (in addition to a similar sum to the Welsh Education Fund), to the funds of the board. The annual inspection of schools by the rural deans, under the sanction of the bishop, has been regularly made through the archdeaconry of Monmouth, and is now being extended through that of Llandaff, The Rev. G. Sparks has been appointed in the place of the Rev. A. Anderson to the training and commercial school at Newport.

A new archidiaconal board has been formed in connexion with the society for the county of Pembroke, and the board are taking steps to establish model schools at Haverfordwest.

The Chester board are about to add three class rooms to the practising schools attached to their training institution for schoolmistresses at Warrington. The committee of the National society have voted £100 towards this work.

A local board of education has been formed for the West of Cornwall in connexion with the Exeter diocesan board. The board have issued an appeal, and are taking active steps to improve the central schools at Truro, with a view to improve the training given to teachers sent to those schools to learn the system.

Old Scholars of the Liverpool Blue Coat School. The most critical period of the life of a national or parochial school boy, is just that in which the clergymen has least hold upon him, and in fact sees least of him-namely, the few years that elapse between his leaving school and becoming a man. Many of our readers, we know, feel a deep interest in this matter. May not some useful hints be borrowed from the following the Eighth Annual Report of the Liverpool Blue Coat Brotherly Society?

"The Blue Coat Brotherly Society has now been established for a period of nearly nine years, having been founded in the year 1838. The idea of forming such a society originated with Mr. Forster, the present Master of the Blue Coat Hospital, who, from long experience, was deeply sensible of the danger to which children are exposed on being sent forth from the institution in many instances without friends to counsel, to sympathize with, and to encourage them. The christian training and sound education they had received in the school, valuable as it is, has often proved insufficient in such cases where children are placed in a new sphere of life, exposed to dangers and temptations, and coming in contact with characters whose example could not fail to be pernicious. The great and prominent design of the society, therefore, is to stand forward as the guardians and counsellors of children so inexperienced; so susceptible of impressions often adverse both to rectitude and to their own real interests; so destitute, in many instances, of those either able or willing to befriend and admonish them; to stand forward and encourage such children to persevere in that good course to which they had been habituated in the school; to incite them to activity, steadiness, and obedience to their employers, and thus, with God's blessing, to conduct them safely through that peculiarly dangerous period of life when they are first exposed to the world.

"Nor was this the only object contemplated on the formation of the society. They determined at the same time to form a fund, by means of small quarterly subscriptions, to be appropriated to the relier of such deserving boys as they found in need of a little clothing, with but scanty means of procuring it, thus stimulating them to conduct worthy of themselves..

and of the institution, and practically convincing them that they had some friend to notice and encourage them so long as their conduct continued meritorious.

"It was further proposed, that the surplus of this fund should be applied to assist any member of the society in business, or desirous of commencing business, with a loan, which should be repaid by instalments, but without interest.

"The members of the society were desirous of testifying to the trustees of the Blue Coat Hospital the gratitude they felt for the advantages and blessings conferred upon themselves whilst inmates of the school, and felt convinced that in no way could they more effectually evince their gratitude than by visiting those who had left the school, during the period of their apprenticeship. This plan once formed was immediately submitted to the trustees, who not only highly approved of it, but most heartily co-operated with them in framing rules for the guidance of the society, and contributed very liberally to its funds, conceiving with the projectors of the society, that the objects, if zealously carried out, would be productive of the most beneficial results. Thus countenanced, encouraged, and aided by the trustees, the society at once commenced operations. The town was divided into districts, and visitors appointed to each, whose duty it was to visit the boys regularly in their several districts, and to give a monthly report of their conduct at a meeting held at the Blue Coat Hospital.

"The success of their endeavours has justified their most sanguine expectations, for although the sound christian training of the school has, in most instances, been found to exercise its desired effect in influencing the conduct of the boys, yet cases of neglect of duty have occurred, which but for the timely interference of the society, might have terminated in loss of character, situation, and prospects, through having committed one offence and wanting a friend to intercede for them.

"The reports of former years have presented an almost unvarying aspect, the visiters having almost uniformly received from the employers the most encouraging accounts of the behaviour of the boys whilst in their service; and the society have already had the great satisfaction of seeing many of those who were entrusted to their care, after serving a faithful apprenticeship, become fellow members with themselves, and anxious to render in their turn, to the boys now leaving the school, those kind attentions which they have themselves experienced. The total number of boys who have come under the superintendence of the society is 376; the average number visited during the past year is 135; and the visitors desire to ex

press their thanks to Almighty God, without whose aid their exertions would have been fruitless, for that success which has attended their labours. The visitors are careful to impress upon the boys their obligation to attend a place of worship, and they have reason to believe that their wishes in this respect are complied with.

"The society, in concluding their report, most respectfully solicit from the trustees, a continuance of their patronage, at the same time gratefully acknowledging their former liberal countenance and support; and they trust, by God's blessing, to continue their labours, increasing more and more in usefulness by carrying out, to the utmost of their power, the pious and benevolent intentions of the founders of the school."

Education at Rhodes.-That the good points of the Turkish character, such as it displayed itself to us, lie deeper than in mere external politeness, natural mildness of disposition, and dislike of exertion, is evident if we inquire into the provision made for the instruction of the rising generation among them. In the town of Rhodes, the Osmanlis have a public library, containing about one thousand volumes, and placed in a neat building erected for the purpose, founded about fifty years agoby Turbend Agasi Achmet Aga. We had an interview with the present librarian, Hadgi Mehemet Effendi, a highly intelligent old man, at his house, where we found him buried among manuscripts, like a true book-worm. He took much interest in the account of what we had seen in Lycia; and discoursed, according to the learning of the East, on the ancient history of the country, as described in volumes. around him. To the library under his charge the students of the Madreseh, or higher schools, have access. These students, about one hundred and fifty in num-ber, are instructed, boarded, and lodged, out of funds provided from private bequest. There are five other schools for boys, the teachers of which are paid by the parents. The three principal number upwards of three hundred scholars. There are six schools for girls, attended by up-wards of five hundred pupils, between four and twelve years of age. The teachers are females, and are paid by the parents. These facts show how alive our Turkish friends of Rhodes are to the value of instruction for the young. We may question and despise the quality of the education given; but the effort to educate, and the spirit which has led to the endowment of public institutions for free education, must command our respect, and force us to acknowledge the good qualities of the people among whom it is displayed.

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