suffer almost as much from their husbands' tongues as they may from their husbands' fists; and it is exceedingly hard for a husband, perhaps, to keep perfectly quiet, when he wants his breakfast at 8 o'clock, and finds that the fire is scarcely alight, and the coffee not thoroughly boiled, and his meal not well prepared. I am anxious that the girls of these schools should learn all they can in history and natural science, and in other subjects; but I would far sooner that the girls knew where to put a leg of mutton in order to have it thoroughly cooked, than where to find some island that is scarcely known, even to those who are tolerably well educated; and I will forgive the young woman if, in answer to the question, "At what date were potatoes introduced into England ?” she cannot tell me, if I find that she can boil the potato for her husband well. I am exceedingly glad, my lord, that the attention of the girls is being directed to domestic economy, and to industrial skill. Progress in this, on the part of the women of England, will, I am sure, tend greatly, under the blessing of God, to make the homes of the men of England bright and happy. Now, this teaching is theoretical: I have made some inquiries on the subject, and I am thankful to be told that, very soon, when the new buildings are open, this teaching is to be practical. God give it thorough success! Reference was also made to the efficiency of the young men and young women trained in this Institution for the most important, I may say sacred, office of teaching the young. I am glad to take this opportunity of acknowledging my obligation to the British and Foreign School Society, for some of the best masters that have perhaps been sent forth from the Normal College to take charge of schools. The schools connected with my own congregation have been in existence some sixteen years. Our first master was sent from this School; he remained with us ten years. When he left us, his place was supplied by another, who remained with us until he felt it right to engage in commercial pursuits; and now we have one sent to us who has been with us some three or four months, and who, I think, shows most thoroughly the advantage of the Government inspection, and of the stimulus which that inspection supplies. The difference between him and former masters-without in the least depreciating them, that would be most ungrateful and ungracious--but the difference between him and former masters whom I have seen, and with whom I have cooperated, and whom I have superintended, is just this: I find on his part more attention to detail than I have noticed in others; and it strikes me that we need that very much in our schools in order to make those schools efficient. We want just that attention to detail which the Government inspection and the Government examinations seem to me to call forth. I must make one reference to the observations of the preceding speaker. He associated the noble lord in the chair with the extension of the political privileges of the men of this country; and while these remarks were being made, the thought occurred to me, that the reason his lordship is foremost in this matter is, perhaps, to be found in the fact, that he has been through so many years associated with the education of the people-that he sees that the extension of their political privileges is safe. Men, who never put even a li.tle finger to the education of the people, cry out, "Danger;" but the men who have a living, loving, earnest sympathy with the people, who see what they are, and what is doing for them, and who watch the successes of educational movements—they, I think, are men who see that the extension of political privileges is even now safe; and I do pray that the blessing of God may be upon all efforts, whether in the Parliament or in the Church, wherever these efforts are put forth, to lift up the men of our country, and to make them intelligent, strong-minded, strong-hearted, godly Our safety, next to the providence of God-which we know is our bulwark— our safety is in the moral and religious education of the people of our land. There is much to be thankful for in the state of these Schools, and in the condition of this Society; and I trust that all here present who are interested in its progress will thank God and take courage. I second, my lord, the adoption of this Report.

men.

A discussion was raised relative to the issue from the Depository of certain books which, it was contended, contained passages contrary to the fundamental rules of the Society. An amendment to the resolution was moved by Mr. J. C. Lawrence, and seconded by Mr. H. Preston, gentlemen connected with the Unitarian denomination, but was lost by a large majority, only four hands being held up in its favour, and the Report was unanimously adopted. One of the members of the Committee stated that they had already given the matter their best consideration.

ROBERT A. SLANEY, Esq., M.P. for Shrewsbury, moved the next resolution:

"That this meeting learns with satisfaction the progress made towards extending the means for supplying efficient teachers, and would earnestly commend to those interested in the education of the children of the poor on scriptural principles, the special appeal for pecuniary aid in the erection of the New Training College."

The Rev. R. S. HARDY, in seconding the resolution, said,

The subject of my resolution refers principally to teachers; and we are called upon to be grateful for the course which has been taken to render these teachers efficient. I, my lord, have lived principally in a foreign land, the island of Ceylon. I have had an opportunity of seeing the work of these teachers, not only in my own country-though I can speak well of them from what I have seen here—but more particularly, I would say, that having seen some of them in foreign countries, and the course that they have pursued, I have seen that they have come from this Institution arrayed with every gift that was necessary in order that they might fill their positions with credit to this Society, and with benefit to the people to whom they were sent. And there is this important feature in their positions,-not only were they the teachers of the children immediately under their care, but, in every instance, they became the teachers of teachers, and, in some countries, formed the commencement of a course of education to be pursued afterwards. It is, therefore, exceedingly important that that course should be a good one. When we see that it has been so, and that the course they have carried on will be multiplied and extended, so that vast numbers of children, especially in India, will be brought under the power of the same principles, we must be thankful to God that this Society has found such men that it has furnished such men-and that when they have gone forth, they have been so efficient. Being a member of a missionary committee that has received great assistance from this Society, in connexion with Christian missions, I desire thus publicly to return my thanks to the Committee. Sending teachers out without that furniture which is given by the Society, would be like sending carpenters out and telling them they were to work with the flints and with the shells that had previously been used by the people in working the wood of their country; and, therefore, it is well that books and other things are sent out to assist those who are educating the people. We see from what we have heard, and those who afterwards read the Report will find, that a mighty work has been commenced in those islands; and that if it were not for the support which is given by this and similar societies, the people must relapse into comparative barbarism, while, if they are assisted, we may suppose they will go on, and become, like ourselves, in many respects, a wise and holy people, and a people devoted to God. I trust that this Society will continue to flourish; and whilst I am thankful for the assistance that I, as an individual, have received, and for what benefit has been granted to me by this Committee, I look forward, and believe that, if the same principles are continued,

as I have every reason to believe they will be, the world in all its extent will, more or less, derive benefit from its assistance.

The resolution was carried unanimously.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL then rose, and said,—

I am sorry to say that, owing to the pressure of public business, I am unable to remain any longer in this room. I have only to thank you for the reception you have given me, and shall thank you for the indulgence which I propose to take. I feel the more easy in going away at present, because there seems no longer to be any question upon which this Society can have any doubt. I believe the principle upon which this Society was originally founded, and by which it still holds—namely, that of giving daily scriptural instruction, and at the same time not giving any sectarian instruction-is the right principle, and the best principle for this country. It has been held for a long time, and it is certainly useless to discuss it now; but while it is useless, I say, to enter into any question of that kind at present, I must remind you that the whole question of education in this country is now undergoing a very strict examination, under a commission of which the Duke of Newcastle is the head. It was stated in the Report, last year, I think, that that commission had asked the British and Foreign School Society to furnish them with information, and that the British and Foreign School Society immediately sent to all their schools the questions which the commission desired to be put. There is no doubt that a valuable collection of information will be in the possession of that commission. At the same time, the questions they will have before them are most difficult. The course pursued by the Committee of Privy Council on Education is known to you, and I believe scarcely any here will doubt the vast good that has been effected; but whether the public should proceed in that direction, or whether they should adopt any other direction, will be a matter for the gravest deliberation, and, I must say, requires the most anxious thought. Of this, however, we may be sure, that there are so many men in this country at present who are convinced, not only of the great value of education, but of their duty to forward it by every means in their power-and those men belonging to every branch of the Christian church— that, so far as the cause of education is concerned, I may say that I think that that cause is safe. As to the particular manner, however, in which it should be prosecuted, whether in one way or the other, and how soon the task of educating the country completely may be effected those are questions which are of the utmost value and importance, and upon which various opinions are entertained. Let us always, however, recollect that the present situation of education is not exactly analogous to that of spots on the sun; on the contrary, the places where education is carried into effect are rather the bright spots on a dark body. We have not yet attained anything like general education throughout the country. I believe, in a great number of places, there are schools as good as schools can possibly be, both with the best methods, and best schoolmasters and mistresses that can be found. But these are not the rule; they are still, I am afraid, the exception. So that the friends of education have still much to do, and they will have an anxious task in considering how to do it. Let me again return my thanks to you, and offer my apology for having to leave the meeting.

The chair was then taken by Sir WALTER STIRLING, Bart., and the meeting was addressed by Dr. LOCKHART from China, who moved :— "That the thanks of this meeting be most respectfully offered to Her Majesty the Queen, and to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, for the continuance of their royal patronage and support.” He said

It is now nearly twenty-eight years ago since I was present at the meeting of the British and Foreign School Society. Nearly twenty years of the intervening period have been spent in China, and I am glad to avail myself of my appearance at

this meeting to thank the Committee for frequent grants of school materials, which have been sent me while I was residing in China as a medical missionary there. Those books are very useful in our mission schools, and we always receive such contributions from the British and Foreign School Society with gratitude and thankfulness to them for having thus supported us in our mission work. The system of education that has been followed for many years in China is, doubtless, well known to you. China is an educated country, the people all look forward for their education with intense desire, and the poorest of the people obtain as much information on the subject of education as they possibly can. They are early taught to read, and very few of the people, indeed, even of the lowest of the people, are unable to make some use of books. You find the porters by the roadside, the carriers of burdens on the highway, and the meanest shopkeeper, sitting down during their hours of repose, opening a book of instruction of some kind, and reading it. Education is fully diffused throughout the country. But I would more especially speak of that higher system of education which is given to the more educated classes. In China there are large universities, where all the community, the gentle and the simple, the rich and the poor, can present themselves, without any testimonial from teachers, lecturers, or colleges. There are no colleges in China; men get their education as they can. The only test they are required to submit to is an examination to determine whether they possess the amount of knowledge required from them by their literary chancellors. They are educated by various teachers, who, having passed their examinations, are self-constituted teachers of the community; and young men spend days, and months, and years, in sitting at their feet, humbly taking from them such instruction as they can afford. I have seen several students spending day after day, and night after night, for weeks together, until their bodies were almost wholly exhausted, and their strength almost all gone in preparing for these examinations. The examinations are of the strictest kind; they comprise history and metaphysics. They learn no foreign languages, but a thorough knowledge of the books called classics by the Chinese people is required from the students. A subject is given to each of them, and they are obliged to write a long thesis upon it. These theses are presented to the literary chancellors, and they examine them. I have seen several of the theses; they go very deeply into all the subjects that are presented to the minds of the young men during their early training; and they are required, from a single word, to give all the passages in the Chinese classics which bear upon that particular word, to quote them from memory, and write out, seriatim, the various remarks made by the different commentators. This requires an amazing amount of memory, and assiduity and careful study on the part of the student, before presenting himself for examination at the large universities, which are established at all the great provincial cities. Some three to five or six thousand present themselves every three years, that they may pass their examinations, and obtain their degrees. These young men have previously been examined by the different magistrates in their native villages or cities, who are the literary examiners; and having passed through these preliminary examinations, they then present themselves at the university. Each student retires into a small cell prepared for him; he is carefully examined to see that he carries no book into the examination, and there he has to sit until he has written upon all the themes presented to him, and until he has finished his work. Then comes the great day at the end of the examinations, when the result is made known, for the Yeu-trae (adorned talent), which is somewhat similar to our degree of B.A., or for the Keu-jeu (exalted man), or what is somewhat similar to our M.A. degree. All the students and their friends assemble round in enormous halls, for there are vast premises that are erected for the examinations. These places are filled with the anxious inquirers to know the result. Crowds gather round the university to ascertain the state of the list when it is pasted on the doors. Then comes the great crush, to know who have been the fortunate receivers of the degree, and

the word passes from mouth to mouth through the crowd, and though they have no electric telegraph in China, carrier pigeons are used on all sides of the crowd, that thus the news may be sent from and to all the cities in the surrounding districts, as to who are the fortunate graduates. All persons in China, who seek for official situations, have to go through these various stages of examination; and the law is, that no person can obtain any Government situation unless he has gone through more or less of these examinations. Consequently, you frequently see people, fifty, sixty, and seventy years old, still endeavouring to obtain their degree. It is the key to all official appointments, and the high-road by which the meanest of the people may obtain the highest situations in the land. Such is the estimation in which education is held in China; such is the honour that is given to all their educated men; and it is the great high-road, I repeat, whereby all persons obtain emolument and wealth in that country. But we want to add to their system of education something similar to what I have been pleased to witness in the examination-room of these schools to-day; we want to add to their system of education, based upon heathen writers, instruction in the Word of God; and glad will it be for China, when, in the great Hall of Examination, the Bible shall be the text-book, and the people shall be well instructed in all the principles of the Gospel of Christ. Many missionaries are engaged in that work, and much has been done for spreading the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ in that great country. It was a glad sight to-day, to see the boys in your practising school passing that examination in Scripture History. I look forward with joy to the day when we shall have such examinations in China, and when many of the boys of that land shall possess as intimate a knowledge of the Scriptures of God as is possessed by the English boys in this school. It will, indeed, be a glorious day for China, when the Christianity that is diffused here, and the education that is given here, shall permeate the whole land, and China shall be won for Christ, and made one with us in knowing and loving and serving our blessed Saviour. I have much pleasure in moving the resolution.

The Rev. F. TRESTRAIL seconded the resolution.

On the motion of the Rev. HUGH ALLEN, M.A., seconded by WILLIAM BALL, Esq., the following resolution was then carried :— "That the thanks of this meeting be presented to His Grace the Duke of Bedford, for his munificent subscription, and to the Right Hon. Lord John Russell, for again taking the chair."

The company then dispersed.

In the evening, a second examination of the Practising School was held in the presence of the parents, and other persons locally interested, who were unable to attend the morning meeting. The large room was densely crowded, chiefly by the parents of the children, and the proceedings were characterised by extreme interest and animation.

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

COVENTRY.-An excellent meeting, chiefly of parents and the managers of the British School, was held here, at which F. Franklin, Esq., presided, and Mr. Vardy and Mr. Baxter addressed the assembly. The proceedings commenced with a tea for the children, who afterwards interested the company with a recitation of some poetry, and a performance of their school songs. The success of this school under the new master has been very complete; and the arrangements made by the managers for his encouragement reflect on them the highest credit. In little more than a year, the attendance rose from 50 to 170. So deeply interested are the parents