The following is the list of inspectors for the present year: Rev Prebendary Gray, Diocesan Inspector of Schoess. Armaestuary of Taunton-Rev. Prebesary Chilcott, Inspector for the Deanery of Danster; Rev. Prebendary Toogood, Inspector for the Deanery of Bridgwater; Rev. Prebendary Lance, Inspector for the Deanery of Crewkerne; Rev. J. B. B. Clarke, Inspector for the Deanery of Tazeton. Ardcarvery of Rath-Rev. H. Blayds, Inspector for the Deanery of Bath (rural paristes: Rev. E A. Ommanney, Inspector for the District of Bedminster; By E. P. Vaughan, Inspector for the District of Portishead. An a snaretry of Wells.—The Hon. and Ber Chalodor W. T. Law, Inspector for the Deanery of Axbridge; Rev. Prebendary Ellison, Inspector for the Deanery of Pawett; Rev Prebendary Turner, Inspector for the Deanery of Merston; Sex. T. Mason, Inspector for the District of Fraton; Rev. E. Foley, Inspector for the District of Castle Cary; Rev. H. D. Laham. Inspector for the District of Free, Rev. H. Milward, Inspector for the Destrict of Chewton Menaip. The appointments to the jurisdiction of Glastonbury and to the deanery of Lehester are at present vacant. The several resolutions were moved and secunded by the Rev. Prebendary Lance, Rev. F P. Voules, Rev. J. B. Carse, Rev. H. Thompson, Rev. PreSensum Weitehead, Rev. A. Cox, Rev. JS Coles, and Rev. F. C. Johnson. 14:3 Church & hocömasters' Association.— The ith annual dinner of this associa tion took place on Thursday, October In the course of the evening the report of the proceedings of the associabon during the past year was read by the secretary, and addresses were deIvered by the Rev. D. Coleridge, Rev. T. Jackson, Rev. E. Hawkins, Rev. F. D. Mance. T. D. Acland, Esq., M.P., and G. F. Mathison Esq. In addition to the abere-named gentlemen the following friends of the association were present: Rev T. 0. Goodcalld, Rev C. W. Page, Rev. M. Mitchell, Rev. G. Fagan, Rev. J. H, Rev. J. Evans, G. Greenwood, Esq, H. V. Lynes Esq, J. Norbury, Esq. 4 Schoes-At one of the meetings of the British Association, a was read from Mrs. INTELLIGENCE. Davies Gilbert (relict of the late President of the Royal Society), on the progress of the agricultural schools established by her in the neighbourhood of Eastbourne, in Sussex. Details on the same subject have been presented at previous meetings, but the present communication contained some very interesting facts confirmatory of their utility. In connection with this, Mr. C. H. Bracebridge gave a description of schools founded by Lady Byron, at Newbold Verdun, near At this Bosworth, in Leicestershire. school, the boys, of whom there were about 60, paid 2d. per week, the average of the age of each being about eight years, who had allotted to them, from 1-16th to 1-20th of an acre as a garden, which they were allowed to cultivate for not less than two, nor more than five, hours per day. They were allowed 4d. per hour each for labour, and the result was that their average earnings was from 10s. to 12s. annually. Leamington.-W. Wright, Esq., M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, Principal of Huddersfield College, has been appointed Principal of the Warwickshire Proprietary College, to be established at Leamington. Visitor, the Lord Bishop of Worcester. Crime and Ignorance in Surrey.-At the late sessions in this county, the Rev. Mr. Rowe, the chaplain of the county gaol, made an annual report, and after detailing the number of prisoners that had passed through the gaol during that period, he stated that the extent of ignorance that prevailed among them was almost surpassing belief-not one-third of the whole number being able to read, and out of 1,258 prisoners, male and female, only 304 were able to repeat the Lord's Prayer and Commandments. The prisoners from the rural districts appeared to be the most ignorant. They all, however, appeared anxious to learn, and paid great attention to those who endeavoured to give them instruction. The rev. gentleman, in his report, went into a variety of statistical details relative to the prisoners and the causes of crime, which was listened to with considerable It was unaniattention by the court. mously resolved that this report be printed, with a view to its being circulated among the magistrates of the county. Testimonial.-On the 15th inst., Mr. William Pearson, Master of the National School at Byer's Green, was presented with a bandsome silver mounted eight keyed flute, as a mark of the esteem of a few musical friends, for his indefatigable attention to the improvement of the choral singers of that district. The presentation was made in the presence of the singing classes, by the Rev. Moorhouse Thompson, A.M., Officiating Minister of Byer's Green. Education in Buenos Ayres.-The fol- mary object, and the Gerbere secondary; indeed, in these establishments it is no So the higher schools CAD Üzversity of Dorpat most TEUS I SUcation are taught through he new off the Russian language. Cum some Tears past German history bend Debetet, and Russian history 16.Tuded. Dorpat is 1 MER & TUILDer of new professors from 2 To verity of Kasan, and Hvil Chevands travel abroad to preeres de the professorships a esta. The few German ITROSTS VI rest at Dorpat will RENT be missed. The GerHAI MULTE & the Baltic provinces have med of the introduc o the Basat nguage even in the Babe Pence of St. Petersburg, but The Del Eswer Stably is, that DS 2e a greater son of the A SCHOOLMASTER'S DIFFICULTIES IN AN AGRICULTURAL PARISH IN NORTHUMBERLAND. REV. SIR,-Perhaps you will do me the favour of inserting in your valuable Journal the difficulties under which my own, and schools similarly situated, unfortunately labour. It has been shown by a country curate in a former number, that want of funds and irregularity of attendance, are the chief difficulties which we have to contend with in educating the children of our poorer brethren. Experience enables me to confirm the truth of this statement. The former difficulty, and as a consequence the latter, might be removed in a great measure, if not entirely, were the wealthier and well disposed classes to come more liberally forward, and lend their assistance towards supporting schools in agricultural districts. Such assistance, by rendering the payment from the children merely nominal, would incalculably benefit a locality like mine, where the parents are extremely poor. Instances, and not unfrequent ones, have come under my observation, where the parents are unable to send even one member of their family for instruction, on account of their poverty. Nor will this statement appear surprising, when I mention the peasant's engagement, and his amount of income. He is paid chiefly in kind. The only money payment he receives is £4 per annum. Should his family be young, and his wife unable to perform the neces sary field labour, a circumstance which happens eight times out of ten, he is obliged to engage a female servant, whose wages average from £5 to £6 for six months in summer. When his wife is able to perform this labour, which is called in this part of the country "bondage," or when his daughter is grown up to undertake it, his circumstances are of course somewhat improved. These emoluments, which are scarcely sufficient for the support of life, especially where the family is numerous, leave little wherewith to provide instruction for his children, much less to enable him to keep them regularly at school till they have attained the age of 14. It invariably happens, that he endeavours to procure employment for them when they have reached the age of 9 or 10, and facilities are too frequently afforded in this neighbourhood on the large farms, which are gladly embraced as the means of earning 3d. or 4d. per day for the labour of each child. His offspring are thus withdrawn from the school, and are sent to mingle with the older servants; whose language and manners, I have reason to fear, are not at all proper for the association of children. The consequence is, in a short time they become corrupted. The good seeds sown in the school are quickly destroyed by witnessing the profane and improper conduct of their fellow servants; so that when they return to school in winter for a few months, we find them thoughtless, almost as ignorant of their duty to God and their superiors, as if they had never been within the walls of a schoolroom; eager to indulge in idle and vain pursuits; and when an attentive and diligent teacher has somewhat succeeded in curbing these evil propensities, and imbuing their minds with the knowledge of God, and of their duty towards him, it not unfrequently happens that they VOL. II. DECEMBER, 1844. A A are again withdrawn when the season of labour returns, and sent as before to mingle with associates who quickly succeed in effacing all good impressions. There is another difficulty, of which more teachers than myself have to complain, that of teaching the church catechism. The majority of the inhabitants in our border parishes are Presbyterians, who are the straitest of their sect, and whose children of course constitute the majority in our schools; as a condition of sending their children to school, they require their own catechism to be taught. By adhering to the rules of the National Society, and teaching only the church catechism, my school was formerly reduced to the lowest ebb, and a rival school, under the auspicies of the Presbyterian meeting house in the neighbourhood, established; and it was only by relaxing our rules in favour of that body, that I have at length been able to command a respectable number of scholars. In many cases, indeed, they will permit their children to be taught the church catechism, but questioning them upon it, and endeavouring to make them comprehend it, they will not permit. Thus we are debarred, in a very great measure, from imbuing the minds of the rising generation with the principles and doctrinal views of a church, which is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. I need hardly add, that it is quite impossible to procure the attendance of these scholars on the services of the church. I have still another difficulty to allege, the want of class books, and of funds wherewith to procure them. We have no resident people of property in this parish; and the farmers, who might lend considerable aid, view the instruction of their dependents with total apathy. The prejudices of the people themselves present formidable obstacles, as they view such books as are published under the auspices of the Church with more than jealousy. Their great object, and one too on which they strenuously insist as a condition of sending their children to school, is that they shall be taught to read the Bible; and no matter whether parts be unsuitable for the purpose of instruction, or the capacity of children, the teacher is thought to have failed in an essential part of his duty, if his pupils have not been carried through every portion of Scripture. May I be permitted to refer to the plan which your reverend correspondent suggests, of combining the cultivation of a portion of land with instruction in the school? I have conversed with several of the labourers on this subject, and, though they themselves would have no objection to the plan, they one and all declare, that their masters would strongly object to it. In the south the plan may be practicable; but in this part of the kingdom, where the farms average from 800 to 1.000 acres, and on which, in the summer months, a difficulty is experienced in procuring a sufficient number of hands for labour, I am convinced the plan is quite impracticable. I have ventured, however imperfectly, to state a portion of the difficulties common to many schools in agricultural districts in the north. Perhaps some of your correspondents will kindly furnish me with their opinion as to the most practicable means of removing, or at least of |
